
Book' C:?p g 



<3enealooical IfDistot^, 



SHOliT SKETCHES AND FAMILY RECORDS, 



EAHLY SETTLERS OF WEST SIMSBURY 

NOW 

CANTON, CONN. 

BY 

ABIEL BEOWN, Esq., 

WITH AN LNTRODUCTORY AND COMMENDATORY NOTICE, 

By Rev. J. BURT. 



HARTFORD : 

PRESS OF CASE, TIFFANY AND COMPANY. 

1856. 

[RE-PRINTED, N, Y., 1899.] 






o 






'Of 



IRotice 1Intro^uctor^ anD Commentator^?. 



On the publication or proposed publication of a book, it 
is legitimate to inquire, What is the object? Why another 
book? Why this? And it is too late in the world's time to 
deny the right, or question the propriety of thus asking for 
the reason of things. 

This little unpretending volume, made up in great part of 
names, which had a local habitation in a very rural district, 
may seem to many uncalled for, and not to justify the labor 
and expense of its compilation and printing. But if it has 
nothing to boast of renowned characters beyond what is com- 
mon to other localities and settlements in its vicinity, it still 
contains the seeds of things whose productions it becomes 
us well to study and understand. 

As to names, the world is full of them, because it is 
full of things, and we have the highest authority for their 
use and record. When in the beginning God made the light, 
he gave it a name ; he called the light day, the darkness he 
called night ; the firmament, heaven ; the dry land, earth ; 
and the gathering of the waters he called seas. So, when 
he made man he called him Adam, and the helpmate for 
him, Eve ; and these two were the head and progenitors of 
all our race. This is ample authority for names and their 
record. We have also equal authority in the Scripture 
genealogy for the registration of families, as such, in their 
local habitation. 

The sons of Noah, Shem, Ham and Japhet, went forth 
out of the Ark, and of them the whole earth was overspread. 
Again, it is written, (Gen. 10:32,) These are the families of 



tlie sons of Noah, after their generations in their nations, 
and by them were the nations divided in the earth after the 
flood. 

Every settlement has a beginning, a development, a prog- 
ress. Every smaller settlement is an integral part of the 
larger; the district of the town, the town of the county, the 
county of the state, the state of the nation; yea, the nations 
make but one world. Families make a settlement, and if 
the origin and progress of a settlement contain items of 
value and of interest, to no others, surely they must to 
themselves and to their descendants. This work was under- 
taken some two years since, by Abiel Brown, Esq., a des- 
cendent of one of the first settlers, in the west part of Sims- 
bury, now Canton, not in anticipation of any personal pe- 
cuniary profit, but for the collection and preservation of 
facts and incidents connected with the first settlers of the 
town, which it n-as believed, might be useful to the present, 
and coming generations. 

In the prosecution of his undertaking, he was stimulated 
by the urgent request of many of the younger men of the 
place who expressed their conviction that such a record, 
made and preserved, would be invaluable to the inhabitants 
of the town in after time. The result, extending far beyond 
the first intention of the author, is short sketches, with the 
record of about one hundred and eighty-five families, extend- 
i]ig down to not far from the close of the ministry of Kev. 
Jeremiah Hallock. 

The materials of the work have been gathered by an ex- 
amination of monuments and burial records in the town of 
Canton, of monuments and probate records in the town of 
Simsbury; some items were collected from Windsor, and 
some from Plymouth, Mass. Beside thes3 and similar 
sources of information, the autJjor was largely indebted to 
the storehouse of his own memory, by the strength and ten- 
acity of which, he, above all was the man fitted for such 
an undertaking. The man who could " remember where he 
was and what he did every day in a single year,"* was of 
all, the man to undertake such a labor. 

* A remark he once made to bis nephew, Heman Humphrey, D. D., Pittsfield, 
Massachusetts. 



Perfection in this work is not claimed. The lapse of more 
than one hundred A'ears and the extreme paucity of family 
records make this impossible. The amount of labor, both 
physical and mental the work has cost, can be understood 
by those only who have themselves been engaged in some 
work of this kind. 

Mr. Brown expressed to his family, his felt obligation to 
many individuals who had rendered him essential aid in his 
undertaking, particularly to Ephraim Mills, Esq., of Canton, 
and John O. Pettibone, Esq., of Simsbury. 

Expressing his deep regret that we know so little of our 
ancestors, and in the hope that his efforts might contribute 
to an increased acquaintanceship with the families, the 
character, and the influence of the past generations, he was 
suddenly called from all earthly cares and efforts, leaving 
the work he had in hand to be completed and disposed of 
by others. 

The work is rather a record than a history ; a record of 
families, and noteworthy events, which we doubt not will 
interest and instruct the people of Canton, and such, at least, 
in other parts of the land and world as look back to this 
town as the place of their nativity and of very many of 
their most hallowed memories. J. B. 

Canton, May, 1856. 



GENEALOGICAL HISTORY. 



Lieut. DAYID ADAMS. He removed from the old 
parish to West Simsbury about the year 1743. He resided 
in the second house north of the north burying ground, the 
west side of the highway. The house is now demolished 



Daughter of Daniel Case. 



Married Hannah Edgerton. 
Married Noah Case, 2d. 
Married Anna Roberts. 
Married Hannah Wilcox. 
Married Sabra Miller. 
Married Darius Moses. 
Married Prince Taylor. 
Died single. 
Married Gad Bliss. 



Two children died in infancy. Average age 64 years 7 
months. 

This family was composed of eleven children ; nine lived 
to adult years, and two died in infancy. 



Parents. 


Born 


Died. 


Age. 


David Adams, 


1716, 


1801, 


85. 


Mindwell Case, 


1718, 


1813, 


95. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


David, 


1740, 


1834, 


94. 


Mary, 


1742, 


1791, 


49. 


Abel, 


1746, 


1776, 


30. 


Ezra, 


1751. 


1837, 


86. 


George. 








Sarah, 


1755, 


1834, 


79. 


Lydia, 


1757, 


1793, 


36. 


Mercy, 


1760, 


1787, 


27. 


Chloe, 


1701, 


1828, 


67. 



DAVID ADAMS, Jr., son of Lieut. David Adams, was 
the owner and resided on the premises now owned by Oli- 
ver C. and Geo. W. Adams. He married Miss Hannah 
Edgerton ; they left no children. 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

David Adams, 1740, 1834, 94. 

Hannah Edgerton, 1743, 1838, 85. 



ABEL ADAMS. He was tlie second son of Lieut. 
David Adams ; he resided on the farm now known by the 
name of the Minor place, being the east part of the farm of 
Israel W. Graham, Esq. 

He married Anna daughter of William and Hannah Rob- 
erts. He, with two of his children, died in September, 1776, 
of the fatal epidemic which then prevailed in the army and in 
the country. His widow afterward married Daniel Graham* 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Abel Adams, 1746, 1776, 30. 

Anna Roberts, 1748, 1821, 73. 

Children. Born. Died. Age. 

William, 1765. Married Mist Hayes. 

Martin, 1769. Married Ruth Hart from R. I. 

Samantha, 1774, 1776, 3. 

Roswell, 1776, 1776. 



EZRA ADAMS, Esq., was the third son of Lieut. David 
Adams. He married Hannah, daughter of Col. Amos Wil- 
cox. He resided the fore part of his family state, west o^ 
the brook and meadow, on the premises now owned by 
Averett Wilcox, Esq. He afterward built the house now 
occupied by Averett Wilcox, Esq. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Ezra Adams, 1751, 1837, 86. 

1st wife, Hannah Wil- 
cox, 1755, 1801, 46. 

2nd wife, Hannah Sey- 
mour, 1766, 1824, 58. 



Children. 

Mindwell, (idiot,) 
Ezra, Jiiu. 
Abel, (idiot,) 
Hannah, (idiot,) 
Tracj% (idiot,) 
Lanra, 
Infant, 
David, 



Eorn. Died. Age. 

1773, 1777, 4. 
1775, 1836, 61. 
1777, 1786, 9, 
1780, 1791, 11. 
1788, 1800, 12. 
1790, 

1793, 1793. 
1798. 



Married Abigail Hurlbut. 



Married Deciiis Humphrey. 



Died in Clarksville, Tennessee. 



In this family of eiglit cliiklren but two were married; four 
of tliem altliongli born with usual capacities, soon sunk into 
and died in a state of idiocy, which was a great trial to 
their parents. 



HEZEKIAH ADAMS, son of Thomas Adams. He 
removed from the east part of Simsbury about the year 1749,, 
and resided on the farm and site now owned and occupied 
by Albert F. Bidwell. His first wife was Lydia Phelps, by 
whom he had six children. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Hezekiah Adams, 1727, 1784, 57. 

1st wife, Lydia Phelps, 1725, 1760, 85. Daughter of Abraham Phelps. 

2nd wife, Sarah Phelps, 1738. Daughter of Thomas Phelps. 



Children by his 1st wife. Born. Died. Age. 

Lydia, 1751, 1773, 21. 

Dorcas, 1753, 1794, 41. 

Lucina. 

3 children died in infancy. 

Children by his 2nd wife. Born. Died. Age. 



Married Aaron Richards. 
Married Jesse Steele. 



Hezekiah, 


1763. 


1793, 


29. 


An idiot. 


Sarah, 


1767, 


1776, 


9. 




Roger, 


1770, 


1838, 


68. 


Married Ruth Hays. 


Charles, 


1772, 


1801, 


29. 


Married Chloe Johnson. 



Sarah, 
Amos, 



10 

1776, 1800, 24. 
1783. 1781. 



Died single. 



Of this family seven lived to adult years ; four died in in- 
fancy, and one aged nine years. 

Eoger, who was a clergyman, was a man of more than com- 
mon ability; he had two sons, twin brothers, born 1796, who 
entered the ministr}' ; their names were Erastus Homer, min- 
ister of , and James Watson, D. D., minister 

of Syracuse. 



NATHANIEL ALFORD. He removed from the old 
parish to West Simsbury about the year 1739. He resided 
on what is now called the missionary lot on the east hill. 

Parents- Born. Died. Age. 

Nathaniel Alford, 1698. 

Experience Holcomb. 1707. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Hannah, 


1727, 


1811, 


84. 


Married Isaac Messenger. 


Isabel, 


1733, 


1818. 


8o. 


Married John Hill. 


Snsan, 


1735, 






Married Joseph Tiff. 


Nathaniel, Jun., 


1737, 
1739. 


1818, 


81. 


Married Abigail Hill. 

Smith, known as Noggy Smith, 


Lugia, 




1799. 




Married Soloman Thomas. 


Rhoda, 








Married Philip Jarvis. 



One daughter married a Bettes and afterward a Heacox, 
but the particulars are not known. All the children married 
and had children. 



NATHANIEL ALFORD, Jun., or 2d, was a son of 
Nathaniel Alford, Sen. He married Abigail, daughter of 
John Hill, Sen., in 1760. He resided on the premises now 
owned by Luther Higley, Esq., and now occupied by Norton 
Case. 



11 



Parents. 

Nathan Alford, 
Abigail Hill, 



13orn. Died. Age. 

1737. 1818, 81. 
1737, 1818, 81. 



Children. 



Eber, 



Born. Died. Age. 
1760, 1844, 84. 



Nathauiel Jun. or 3d, 1763, 1823, 60. 

Marbill, 

Charlotte, 1776, 1850, 74. 



Arba, 
Lora. 
Eliphalet, 

Marbill. 



1777. 



Married, 1st, Esther Hum- 
phrey; 2d, Faithe Spencer. 

Died single. 

Married Ist, Abraham Moses, 
Jun.; 2d, Rufus Garret; 
3d, Amasa Mills. 
Eunice Case. 

Removed to state of Maine. 
^Married a daughter of Joseph 
Segur. 



JOSEPH BACON, son of Maskel Bacon, Sen., with 
his wife, settled in family state about the year 1772. He 
resided on land which now forms the north part of the farm 
of Loin H. Humphrey; it is now known by the name of the 
Bacon place. In 1806 he removed to the region of Onon- 
daga, State of New York. 



Parents. 


Born 


Died. 


Age 




Joseph Bacon, 


1751, 


1833, 


82. 




Mary Edgerton, 


1753, 


1849, 


86. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Infant, 




1773. 






Infant, 




1775. 






Joseph, Jun., 


1776. 






Married Penlope Garrett. 


Anna, 


1778. 






Married Azariah Barber. 


A son. 


1780. 






Died. 


Diadama, 


1782. 






Married Benoni Jones. 


John, 


1785. 






Married Sarah Kenyon. 


Mary, 


1787. 






Married Samuel Goddard, 


Phineas, 


1783. 






Married Philv Norton. 



One child died in 1780. One child died in 1793. 



12 



JAMES BEACH was a resident of Canton. He com- 
menced family state about 1776, He was by trade a black- 
smith. He lived on the farm now owned by Asa Brown. 
He removed to Sandisfield about 1795. He had two sons ; 
the oldest born as early as 1776; nothing further is known 
respecting this family. 



OLIVER BRONSON, a native of Guilford, Conn., 
was employed by the people of Simsbury, about 1773, to 
teach vocal music, in the society. This occurrence led to 
his acquaintance with Miss Sarah Merrell, daughter of 
William Merrell, Sen., which finally resulted in their being 
united in marriage. He then became a resident of West 
Simsbury, and with his partner and family resided on land 
now owned by Harvey Mills. The house was situated be- 
tween the house of Harvey Mills, and Ozias Pike. All their 
children, save the youngest, were born in this town. He 
became quite celebrated as a teacher of vocal music, and 
was employed in several of the most popular churches in 
Connecticut, in addition to his own adopted society. He 
removed to Old Simsbury in 1786, and there resided till 
about 1802 ; then removed to Cazenova, New York. 



Parents. 


Born- Died. Age. 


Oliver Bronson. 




Sarah Merrell, 


1752. 


Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Willys, 


1774. 


Simeon, 


1776. 


Oliver, 


1779. 


Manua, 


1782. 


Sarah, 


1785. 



Green, C. 



Married Cs'ntha Gleason. 



Married Taylor, father of 
Green Taylor. 

Bom in Simsbury ; became 
chief judge of the supreme 
court of the State of New 
York ; also attorney gen- 
eral. 



13 



THOMAS BID WELL, Sen. He with bis wife, whose 
name was Ruhamah Pinney, came from Windsor about the 
year 1740. He settled on the premises that fell to his sou 
Thomas, and said premises have remained in the possession 
of the Bidwell family to the present time. 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Thomas Bidwell, Sen., 1701, 17-iG, 45. "Was buried in New Hartford, 

on Town Hill. 

Ruhamah Pinney, 177G. The widow married Ephraim 

Wilcox, 



Children. 
Abigail, 
Ruhamah, 
Thomas, Jun., 

Prudence. 



Born. Died. Age. 
173i, 1810, 76. 
1814, 71. 
1738, 1803, 64. 



Married Thomas Cone, 
Married James Cornish. 
Married Esther Or ton 

died 1823, aged 87. 
Married Aaron Pinney. 



she 



EPHRAIM WILCOX. After the death of Thomas 
Bidwell, Sen., Ephraim Wilcox, married his widow; they 
had five children. 



Children. 



Born. Died. Age. 



Philander. 

Martin. 

Asa. 

Jehiel. 

Chloe. 



Married Elijah Humphrej', 



Deac. THOMAS BIDWELL. He with his wife settled 
in the east part of New Hartford, (now Canton,) on land 
left him by his father. 



Parents. 

Thomas Bidwell, 
Esther Orton, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1788, 1802, 64. 
1737, 1823, 87. 



14 



Children. 



Jehiel, 



Riverius, 

Thomas, Jun., 
Norman, 
Lois, 
Jasper, 



Born. Died. Age. 
1660, 1777, 16. 



Was taken prisoner at Fort 
Washington, November 
1776, and died from harsh 
treatment, Jan., 1777. 



1762, 1822, 59. Married Phebe Roberts; died 



1764, 1818, 83. 

1768, 1849, 78. 

1773, 1828, 55. 

1775, 1848, 73. 



1837, aged 76. 
Married Lavinia Humphrey. 
Married Falla Hills. 
Married Dr. Abiram Peet. 
Married Lucy Richards. 



A GENEALOGICAL SKETCH OR HISTORY OF THE 
ANCESTRY OF THE BROWN FAMILY. 



PETER BROWN, one of that memorable little band who 
landed at Plymouth, Mass., Dec. 22d, 1620, appears by tradi- 
tional accounts, in connection with many historical facts 
and other sketches of record, with other corroborating cir- 
cumstances, to be the progenitor of the Windsor Browns. 
He came to America single; was by trade a carpenter ; he 
died 1633. Peter Brown, 2d, was born 1632 ; he married 
Mary Gillett, 1658; his monument in Windsor burying-ground 
tells us that he died Oct., 1692, aged 60 years. He had four 
sons, Peter, John, Jonathan, and Cornelius. They all had 
numerous families. In 1691 they exchanged lands that were 
their fathers with the selectmen of the town of Windsor. 
John, 1st, the 2d son, was married to Miss Elizabeth Loomis, 
1692; she died 1723. They had three sons and eight 
daughters. The names of the sons were John, 2d, Isaac, and 
Daniel. John, 2d, the eldest son and the fifth of the family 
was born March, 1700 ; married Miss Mary Eggleston, 
March, 1725. He died 1790, aged 90 years. His wife died 
1789, aged 87. They had two sons and seven daughters. 
Mary, the oldest of the family, remained single through 
life and died aged 100 years. 



15 

Margery married David Filley; she died 1775, aged about 
45; she left no children alive. The other daughters all died 
in childhood and youth, most of them with the canker rash; 
their deaths were in quick succession. The names of the 
two sons were John, 3d, and Ezra. John, 3d, the oldest of 
them, was born November 4th, 1728; married Miss Hannah 
Owen, 1758. She was the daughter of Elijah and Hannah 
Owen. Her grandfather, Isaac Owen, was one of the first 
settlers in Turkey Hills ; her mother was daughter of 
Brewster Higley. Elijah Owen died September, 1741, aged 
35; his relict died 1806, aged 90. After the death of Mr. 
Owen, she married Pelatiah Mills, and was the mother of a 
numerous Mills family. The names of the Owen children 
were Eebecca. Elijah and Hannah ; names of the Mills chil- 
dren were Pelatiah, Samuel, Koger, Patty, Eli, Frederick, 
Susannah and Elihu. John Brown, 3d, was chosen Captain 
of the train-band, in West Simsbury in the spring of 1776. 
His commission from Governor Trumbull, bears date May 
23d, 1770. A regimental order from Col. Jonathan Petti- 
boue to Capt. John Brown, bears date June 11th, 1776, 
and reads as follows : 

To John Broioriy Captain of the Sth Coinpany hi the 18 
■Regiment of the Militia in the Colony of Connecticut. 

VYhekeas the General Assembly have Enacted, that One 
third Part of the 2d, 3d, 4th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 20th Regi- 
ments, and One quarter part of the other Regiments of the 
Militia, or a Number equivalent thereto, be forthwith inlisted 
or detached, from the Limits of the several Regiments in 
this Colony, to be held in Readiness, for the Defence of 
this or any of the adjoining Colonies; and the Colonels or 
chief Officers of the respective Regiments, are to issue the 
necessary Orders therefor. 

These are therefore to command you, forthwith to con- 
vene your Company, and also give Notice to, and request 
the Attendance, at the same Time and Place of all others, 
within the Limits thereof, who are obliged to keep Arms, 
and are between Sixteen and Fifty-Five Years of Age, and 



16 



being so convened, to inlist out of any of them (or other- 
wise as soon as may be) tlie Number aforesaid, and if a 
sufficient number shall not voluntarily inlist, you are hereby 
farther commanded, with the Advice and Assistance of 
the other Commission Officers, to detatch and impress, out 
of your said Company, such Number of able bodied Men, 
as shall appear to be wanting, of the enlisted Men, to make 
up the Complement aforesaid; and malce Return of your 
Doings in the Premises, to me within Six days after said 
Men shall be inlisted, or detached, taking Care to return 
the Names of the Men enlisted, and the Names of those 
detached, distinguishing between those of the Militia and 
those who are not. 

Given under my Hand, in Simsbury the 11th Day of 
June, Anno Domini, 1776. 

JON. PETTIBONE, Colonel. 

Form of Inlisttnent^ viz., 

We the Subscribers, of Simsbury, in the County of Hart- 
ford, each for himself do hereby acknowledge to have volun- 
tarily inlisted to serve as Minute-Men for the Defence of 
this and adjoining Colonies, and engage to hold ourselves 
in constant readiness, agreeable to the Tenor and Regula- 
tions of an Act passed by the General Assembly of this 
Colony in May, 1776, entitled " An Act for Raising and 
Equipping a Body of Minute-Men, to be held in Readiness 
for the better Defence of this Colony;" and under the Com- 
mand of such Officers as shall be appointed agreeable to the 
Direction of said Act. As Witness our Hands. 

The company was soon raised and with it. Captain Brown 
marched and joined the army at New York, where, after 
about two months service he was taken sick with the dysen- 
tary and died September 3d, 1776, leaving a wife and eleven 
children, the eldest being but eighteen years of age, and the 
oldest son but nine. 



17 



Capt. JOHN BROWN. He came from Wiutonbmy, 
(now Bloomfield,) with bis wife wlio Avas Hannah Owen, a 
descendant from the first John Owen, of Windsor. He set- 
tled in West Simsbury in the year 1755, on the premises 
now occupied by his son, Abiel Brown, in the Center school 
district. 



Died in the army at N . York. 



2d wife of Solomon Humphrey. 
Married Michael Barber. 
Married Timothy Case. 
2d wife of David Giddings. 
2d wife of Prince Taylor, 
2d wife of Russel Borden. 
1st wife, Millisent Graylord ; 

2d, widow Abi Case. 
1st wife, Catharine Case: 2d, 

Chloe S. Pettibone. 
1st wife Ruth Mills ; 2d Sarah 

Root; 3d, Abi Hinsdale. 
2d wife of William Merrells. 
Married Alexander Humphrey. 
Born farther west; marriedAnna 

Lord, of Lyme. 



The average age of this family of children, is about seventy 
years, and six months. 



Parents. 


Born. Died 


Age. 


John Brown, 


1728, 1776, 


48. 


Hannah Owen, 


1740, 1831, 


91. 


Children. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 


Hannah, 


1758, 1825, 


66. 


Azubah, 


1760, 1812, 


52. 


Esther, 


1762, 1838, 


76. 


Margery, 


1764, 1820, 


56, 


Lucinda, 


1765, 1814, 


49. 


John, 4tb, 


1767, 1849, 


82. 


Frederick, 


1769, 1848, 


78. 


Owen, 


1771, 1856, 


85. 


Thede, 


1773, 1846, 


74. 


Roxy, R., 


1775, 1855, 


80. 


Abiel, 


1776, 1858, 


79. 



ABIEL BROWN, Esq., the compiler of this work, died 
of typhus fever, March 15th, 1856, aged 79 years, 4 months. 
\ He lived and died in the same house where he was born. 



Parents. 

Abiel Brown, 
Anna Lord, 



Born. Died. Age. 
1776, 1856, 79, 



Still living, 1856. 



18 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




William Ely, 


1807. 






Married Nancy Barber. 


An infant, 


1810, 


1810 






John, 5th, 


1811. 






Married 1st, Fanny Case; 2d, 
Laura Case. 


Selden Holmes, 


1813. 






Married Phebe Hodge, 


Eliznr Owen, 


1816. 






Married 1st, Mariah Clinton; 
2d, Mary Ann Loomis. 


Eliza Ann, 


1822, 


1845, 


23. 





De. SAMUEL BAEBEE, the subject of these historical 
sketches, had the reputation of a good citizen, although 
somewhat eccentric in his habits and not unfrequently im- 
pulsive in his actions. He doted much in his skill in roots 
and herbs; was famous as a hunter, the woods at that time 
affording an abundance of game. In one of his hunting 
excursions in Norfolk, accompanied by some of his sons 
they chased a large panther into his den, and how to dislodge 
him from his hiding place was the first question to be 
solved. The old gentleman, nothing daunted, Patnam like, 
descended into the cavern ; after grouping his way some 
distance the panther not relishing this intrusion upon his 
retreat suddenly turned and made for the entrance of his 
den which he accomplished by closely squeezing by his 
bold intruder. The panther, on his arrival at the mouth of 
the den, seeing the party without prepared to give him bat- 
tle, stood motionless, when one of the sons discharged a 
ball through his body and intestines which produced no 
emotion, the animal sullenly retaining his position. This 
act of the son called forth a sharp reprimand from his father, 
for his not taking a more effective aim, and calling for his 
gun the old gentleman discharged a ball through the head 
of the animal which put an end to his existence. This 
exploit may justly be put on a parallel with the famous 
story of " Putnam and the Wolf." 

The family of Barbers were among the earliest and most 
conspicuous of West Simsbury and a more extended notice 
of them is here given. The immediate ancestor of the fam- 



19 



ily of Barbers who settled in West Simsbury was Samuel 
Barber who died about 1725. He was a descendant of the 
first Thomas Barber, of Windsor. He married Mercy Hol- 
comb, granddaughter of the first Thomas Holcomb. This 
Mercy died 1787, aged 9G. She removed from the old par- 
ish to West Simsbury in the year 1738, with her four sons, 
Samuel, Thomas, Jonathan and John, and her daughters, 
Mercy, wife of Ephraim Buel, and Sarah, wife of John Case, 
4th. Her sons settled on Cherries Bi'ook, on lands contig- 
uous to each other, comprising the meadows and best lands 
in the center school district in Canton. The family were 
noted for their habits of immigration and are to be found 
in various states of the Union ; few of the descendants (al- 
though numerous) are to be met with in the town of Canton. 



Dr. SAMUEL BARBER He settled on the farm now 
owned by Norton Case, He married for his first wife 
Tryphene Humphrey, daughter of Samuel Humphrey, by 
whom he had seven sons. Her monument is the oldest in 
the town of Canton. His second wife was Hannah, daughter 
of Capt. Noah Humphrey, who commanded a company at 
the capture of Havanna, in 1762. By this marriage he had 
seven children, four sons and three daughters. 



Parents. 

Samuel Barber, 
1st wife, Tryphene 
Humphrey, 



Born. Died. Age. 
1714, 1797, 83. 

1732, 1753, 30. 



2d wife, Hannah Hum- 
phrey. 



1726, 1819, 93. 



Daughter of Samuel Humph- 
rey ; the first person interred 
in the south burying ground. 
Her monument is the oldest in 
town, bearing date, 1752. 

Daughter of Capt. Noah Hum- 
phrey, who commanded a com- 
pany that went to Havanna 
in 1762. 



20 



Children by 1st wife. 


Born. 


. Died. 


Age. 


Samuel, 


1740, 


1780, 


40. 


Timothy, 


1742, 


1817, 


75. 


Joseph, 


1744, 


1807, 


63. 


David, 


1746. 






Elijah, 


1748, 


1820, 


72. 


Ezekiel, 


1750, 


1806, 


56. 


Daniel, 


1752, 


1776, 


24. 


Children by 2d wife. 


Born, 


Died, 


Age. 


Tryphene, 


1755. 






Joel, 


1757. 






Hannah, 


1759. 






Sarah, 


1761, 


1829, 


68. 


Asahel, 


1763, 


1851, 


88. 


Jesse, 


1766, 


1813, 


47. 


Giles, 


1769, 


1836, 


57. 



Married 



Cowles. 



Married Keturah Riley. 
Married Leah Grover. 
Married Deborah Adams. 
Married Sarah Pettibone. 
Married Elizabeth Goddard. 
Died single in the army. 



Married Nathaniel Johnson. 
Married Mary Phelps. 
Married Aaron Rawls. 
Married John George Bandell. 
Married Mary Collar. 
Married Hepzibah Humphrey. 
Married Mary Garret ; still liv- 
ing, 1856. 



The 2d wife Hannali, died in Canton at the house of her 
son Giles Barber. 

This family of children, all lived to adult years and all 
had children excepting Timothy and Daniel. 



ELIJAH BAKBEE, fifth sou of Samuel and Tryphene 
Barber, married Sarah, daughter of Abel Pettibone about 
1774. He resided on the premises now owned by his son 
Daniel Barber, near the center school-house. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Elijah Barber, 


1748, 


1820, 


73. 


Sarah Pettibone, 


1755, 


1843, 


88. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age, 


Sarah, 


1774, 


1777, 


3. 


Sarah, 


1777. 






Annis, 


1780. 






Lodama, 


1782, 


1796, 


14. 



Married William Barber. 
Married Rnluff Barber. 



21 



Elijah, 


1785, 


1786. 




Elijah, Jun., 


1787, 


1804, 17. 




Daniel, 


1789. 




Married Anna Betts. 


An infant, 


1792, 


1792. 




Joseph, 


1794, 


1804, 10. 





JOEL BARBER, first son of Samuel and Hannah Bar- 
ber, married Mary Phelps. He erected a house at the foot 
of the west mountain, on land now belonging to Wm. H. 
Hallock, Esq. He resided there, until the death of his wife 
in 1784, when his family were partially separated for years. 
About the year 1792, he removed to the north-western part 
of Vermont 

It is understood that sooae time previous to 1812, he re- 
moved into Canada. The time of his death is not definitely 
known. The family all left Conuectict in the year 1791, and 
it is not known who any of them connected in marriage 
with. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Joel Barber, 


1757. 






Mary Phelps, 


1755, 


1784. 


Daughter of Thomas Phelps, 
Sen. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Joel, 3d., 


177G. 




Was a self made, useful and 
highly-honored citizen, a 
judge of the court, and 
sustaining other important 
and responsible public sta- 
tions. 


Allen, 


1778. 




Was a respectable physician; 
was, with others, drowned 
while attempting to cross 
the river St. Lawrence at 
or near Montreal, 1806. 


Lois, 


1780. 






Clementia, 


1783. 




Was brought up in the family 



of Dea. Andrew Mills. 



22 



Serg THOMAS BAKBEK. He with his widowed 
mother, Mercy Barber, and his brothers Samuel, Jonathan 
and John, removed from the old parish to West Simsbury 
about the year 1738. He resided on the place lately owned 
by Hosea Case, deceased, and now owned by Warren C. 
Humphrey. He had ten children^ five sons and five daught- 
ers, who all lived to marry and have children, except 
Elizabeth. 



Parents . 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Thomas Barber, 


1716, 


1792, 


76. 




Elizabeth Adams. 


1716, 


1899, 


94. 


Daughter of Samuel Adams. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Jacob, 


1738, 


1817, 


79. 


Married Patience Lawrence. 


Elizabeth, 


1740, 


1825, 


85. 


Married Samuel Leet. 


Lucy, 


1742, 


1834, 


92. 


Married Moses Gains. 


Abraham, 


1744. 


1835, 


91. 


Married Sarah Wood. 


Mercy, 


1747, 


1787, 


40. 


Married Ebenezer Cowles. 


Azariah, 


1750, 


1817, 


67. 


Married Elizabeth Hum- 
phrey. 


Tryphene, 


1752, 


1824, 


72. 


Married 1st, Meekham McFar- 
land ; 2d, Castle. 


Michael, 


1754, 


1836, 


82. 


Married Azubah Brown. 


Job, 


1756, 


1848, 


92. 


Married Lola Mills. 


Abigail, 


1758, 


1813, 


55. 


Married Peletiah Richards. 



This family lived to a great age, the average at the time 
of their deaths being seventy-six years eight months. 

Mr. Thomas Barber, was eminently known as a peace- 
maker in community, a constant attendant on public wor- 
ship, and in early life was much attached to hunting and 
trapping. 



JACOB BAEBER, with his wife, settled in family state 
about the year 1764. He was the first son of Serg. Thomas 
Barber, and his wife daughter of Samuel Lawrence. 

He resided on the north part of the farm now owned and 
occupied by Franklin Case ; his house was on the west side 
of the highway, opposite the house of James Humphrey. 



23 



In the year 1788 he removed to Barkhamsted, in the neigh- 
hood called Ratlum ; from this place he removed to the 
region of Cazanova, State of New York, in 1815. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Jacob Barber 


1738, 


1817, 


79. 


Patience Lawrence, 


174G, 


1809, 


, 63. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Zirari, 


1761. 






James, 


1767. 






Patience Satitha, 


1769. 






Ezekiel, 


1772, 


1772. 




Thomas, 


1773. 






Peter, 


1774. 






Susannah, 


1777. 






Candace, 


1779. 






Dan, 
Deliverance, 


1782. 
1784. 






Mercy, 


1787. 






An infant, 


1790. 







Married Thanks Wilcox. 
Married Levina Humphrey. 
Married Roger Moses. 

Married Percy Merrell. 
Married Hannah Taylor. 
Married Benjamin Hosford. 
Married Naaman Phelps. 
Married Sally Bishop. 
Married Darius Ca.se. 
Married Johnson. 



ABE AH AM BAKBER, the second son of Serg. Thomas 
Barber, married about 1764. He was for a number of years 
a resident on the farm afterward owned by Michael Barber, 
and now ocvned by Martin Barber, son of Michael Barber. 
He about 1779, removed to the place lately owned by Wil- 
liam and his son Chester Barber. From the latter place he, 
in the year 1786, removed into the town of Barkhamsted ; 
from there he in the year 1794, removed out of the state. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Abraham Barber, 


1714, 


1836, 


92. 




Sarah Wood. 










Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Abraham, Jun., 


17r,7. 






Married Hannah Higley. 


Luman, 


1770, 


1796, 


26. 


Married Mehitable Lilley. 


Job, 


1775. 








Joseph, 


1777. 








Two daughters. 








Births not known. 



24 



MICHAEL BAEBER, 4tli son of Serg. Thomas Bar- 
ber, married Azubah Brown. He resided on the farm pre- 
viously owned by his brother Abraham. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Michael Barber, 


1754, 


1836, 


83. 




Azubah Brown, 


1760, 


1812, 


52. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Sophia, 


1779. 








Michael, Jun.. 


1780, 


1810, 


30. 


Married Anna Taylor, she died 

1820. 


Levi, 
Azubah, 


1782, 
1785. 


1853, 


70. 


Married Ruth Taylor; she died 

1849. 
2d wife of Stephen H. Atwater 


Lyman, 


1790. 






MaxTied Huldah Sanford. 


Martin, 


1794. 






Married Anna Church; died 
1855. 


Salmon, 


1800. 






Married 1st, Betsy Wilcox; 
2d, Ann Richardson. 



AZARIAH BARBER, third son of Serg. Thomas Barber. 
He commenced family state in 1798, on the farm left by his 
father. He afterward removed on to the farm now owned 
by Alvin Bacon. 



Parents. 



Born. Died. Age. 



Azariah Barber, 1750, 1817, 67. 

Elizabeth Humphrey, 1753, 1826, 73. Daughter of Noah Hum- 
phrey, 3d. 



Children. 

Azariah, Jun., 

William, 

An infant, 

Elizabeth, 

Elam, 

Charlotte, 

Noah, 

Almira, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1776, 1855, 79. 

1778. 

1781. 

1783, 1796, 14. 

1785. 

1788, 1845, 57. 

1791, 1854, 63. 

1793. 



Married Anna Bacon. 
Married Sarah Barber. 
Died. 



Married Treat Lambert . 
Married Eliza Drake. 
Married Aza Moses. 



25 



JONATHAN BAKBEE. He with his wife came from 
the old parish of West Simsbury with his brothers Samuel, 
Thomas and John. He settled and built on the place a few 
rods south of the dwelling-house of the late Jesse L. Barber 
deceased. He lost his life at the seige and capture of 
Louisburg, in 1745. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age 


Johnathan Barber, 


1717, 


1745, 


28. 


Jemima Coruish, 




1791. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Jonathan, 


1713, 


1762, 


19. 


Jemima, 


1741. 






Mary, 


1742. 






Bildad, 


1745, 


181G, 


, 71. 



Died in the expedition against 

Havana ; single. 
Married Joseph Messenger. 

Born fatherless ; married Lois 
Humphrey, and removed to 
the State of New York. 



His descendants have become extinct in the town of Can- 
ton. His widow after his death married Jacob Pettibone. 
The Pettibone children were Jacob, David, Martha, and 
Susannah, wife of Isaac Ensign. 



BILDAD BARBER, son of Jonathan and Jemima Bar- 
ber, married Lois, daughter of Oliver Humphrey, Esq. He 
commenced his family state about 1768, on the farm left by 
his father, Jonathan Barber. The premises are now owned 
by Franklin Case, the heirs of Jesse L. Barber, and the heirs 
of the late Gardner Mills. His first dwelling-house stood a 
few rods south of the dwelling of widow Phebe Barber. 
He with most of his family removed to the region of Onon- 
daga, State of New York. A. D., 1801, where he and his, 
spent the remainder of their days. 



Parents. 

Bildad Barber, 
Lois Humphrey, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1745, 1816, 71. 

1746, 1810, G4. 



26 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Trueman, 


1769. 






Married Alice Beebe, of Nauga- 
tuck. 


Johnathan, 


1773. 






Married Amelia Humphrey . 


Humphrey, 


1773, 


1832, 


, 59. 


Married Azubah Willey. 


Percy, 


1777. 






Married Norton. 


Erastiis, 


1779. 






Married Annah Steele. 


Ruluff, 


1782. 






Married Annis Barber. 


Lois, 


1784. 








Two twins, 


1788. 






Both died. ^ ^ 


Philo, 


1793. 






/VK- U,...^...^ '"'^t 


Bildad, 


1791. 






M- dU^^^-fif^ "hrAr** 



Humphrey, tlie third son, was a large man, standing six 
feet seven inches high. The family are now extinct in Can- 
ton. 



JOHN BARBER. Sen., a younger brother of Samuel, 
Thomas and Jonathan, came from the old parish about the 
year 1740. He settled on the land now owned by Lucius 
Foot and others. He built the house that is now standing, 
1856. He had five sons and three daughters ; six of them 
grew up and settled in family state and left children. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


John Barber, 


1719, 


1799, 


80. 


Lydia Reed, 


1725, 


1806, 


81. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Lydia, 


1747, 


1783, 


36. 


John, Jun., 


1749, 


1825, 


76. 


Reuben, 


1751, 


1825, 


74. 


Sarah, 


1754, 


1761, 


7. 


Rhoda, 


1756, 


1761, 


5. 


Benjamin, 


1759. 


1835, 


75. 


Jonathan, 


1763, 


1817, 


54. 


Abel, 


1765, 


1817, 


52. 



Married Samuel Olcott. 
Married Betsey Case. 
Married Elizabeth Case. 

Died by the kick of a horse. 
Married Lydia Case. 
Married Abi Merrell. 
Married Chloe Case. 



The above Reuben was the first person interred in the 
Center burying-ground. 



27 



JONATHAN BAKBEE, son of John Barber, Sen., with 
his wife Abi, daughter of Jonathan Merrell, 2cl, lived and 
died on the place left by his father, situated in the Center 
school district. 



Parents. 

Jonathan Barber, 
Abi Merrell, 



Born. Died. Age. 

17r,3, 1817, 54. Married. 178G. 
17f;9, 1848, 79. 



Children. 



Born. Died. Age. 



Seth, 


1788. 






1st wife, Thirza Hayden; 2d, 
Mehitable Cressy; 3d, Olive 
Cressy. 


Clarinda, 


1789. 






Married Miles Foot. 


Abi, 


1791, 


1796, 


5. 




Henry, 


1793. 






Married Naomi Humphrey, 


Abiah, 


1794, 


1808, 


14. 




Pluma, 


1796, 


1815, 


19. 




Linda, 


1799. 






Married Uriah Hosford. 


Thirza, 


1801. 






Married Isaac Barnes. 


Susannah, 


1803. 






Married Imri L. Spencer. 


Eliza, 


1806. 






Married Henry A. Adams. 


Nancy, 


1808. 






Married Wm. E. Brown. 


Jonathan Sherman, 


1812, 


1847, 


35. 


Married Statira Church. 


Harvey, 


1814. 






Married Lorinda Case. 



JOHN BARBEE, Jun., son of John Barber, Sen., mar- 
ried Elizabeth, daughter of Capt. Josiah Case, A. D., 1773. 
He resided on the farm previously owned by Moses Gaines, 
and now owned by Henry Barber. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

John Barber, 1749, 1825, 76. Married, A. D. 1773. 

Elizabeth Case, 1752, 1817, 65. 



Children. 



Born. Died. Age. 



An infant, 1774, 1774. 

Elizabeth, or Betsey, 1775, 1817, 42. Roswell Barber's 1st wife. 

Rhoda, 1777. Married Gurdon Hnrlbut. 



28 



Cyntha, 


1779, 


1840, 61. 


Married Chauncy Sadd. 




John, Jun., 


1782. 




Married 1st. Delight G. 
2d, Fanny Hunt. 


Case; 


Abi, 


1784. 




Married 1st, Elisha Case, 
2d, Dea. John Brown. 


, Jun., 


Sylvia, 


1785, 


17S6. 






Sylvia, 


1787. 




Married Dan Case, Jun. 




Luke, 


1789. 




Married 1st, Clara Foote; 


2d, 



Austin, 



1793. 



Lavinia Hosmer. 
Married Lucy Allen. 



EEUBEN BAEBEE, son of Jolin Barber, Sen., married 
Elizabeth, daughter of Dea. Hosea Case, A. D. 1775. He 
first resided on lands now owned by Loin H. Humphrey, 
until 18 — , afterwards on the premises now owned by his son, 
Alson Barber. He was the first person interred in the Cen- 
ter burying-ground. 



Parents. 


Born- 


Died. 


Age, 




Reuben Barber, 


1751, 


1825, 


74. 


Married A. D. 1775. 


Elizabeth Case, 


1753, 


1839, 


86. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died, 


Age. 




Reuben, Jun., 


1776, 


1841, 


65. 


Married Lucretia Sloan. 


Mary, 


1778, 


1804, 


26. 


Married Jonathan Noble. 


Sadosa, 


1780, 






Married Sarah Cleaveland. 


Elizabeth, 


1782. 






Married Ist, Josiah Harrison; 
2d, Zimri Barber, Jun. 


Phebe, 


1785, 


1838, 


53. 


Married Uri Cooke. 


Hosea, 


1788. 






Married Hannah Fuller. 


Starling, 


1790, 


1801, 


11. 


Died of a fractured head. 


Alson, 


1792. 






Married Hannah Humphrey. 


Sarah, 


1794, 


1822, 


28. 


Married Harvey Pike. 



DANIEL BAEBEE, son of Serg. Thomas Barber, 
resided for a while in West Simsbury. The time of his 
settlement is not known. He resided on the place now 



29 



occupied by Amos L. Spencer. He was living in this town 
in 1767 ; be had lost nearly all of his property, and the place 
was soon occupied by Caleb Spencer. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Daniel Barber, 


1732, 


1779, 


47. 


Martha Phelps, 


1739, 


1822, 


85. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Daniel, 


1756. 






Rosetta, 


1758. 






Martha, 


1760. 






Jared, 


1764. 






Israel, 


1765. 






Russel, 


1767. 






Roswell, 


1770. 






Calvin, 


1773, 


1846, 


74. 


Sarah, 


1775. 






Abigail, 


1778. 







Married Chloe, widow of John 

Case. 
Married Jacob Pettibone, Jun. 
Married Asahel Holcomb, Jun. 



Married Betsey Barber. 

Married Roena Humphrey, 
daughter of Maj. Elihu 
Humphrey. 

Married George Fisher. 

Married Noah Tyler. Is now 
living, 1856, at Elgin, Illi- 
nois. 



These children all lived to adult years, and most of them 
to old age. 



JOHN G. BANDELL. He was one of the fourteen 
thousand men, that the king of England hired of a prince 
of Germany, in 1775, to help subdue the rebel colonies (as 
was then termed) of America, that were fighting for their 
liberties. He came to America in 1776; was taken prisoner 
at the capture of Gen. Burgoyne's army, in the fall of 1777. 
Whether he was exchanged, or liberated on parole, or in what 
manner he was released is not known. He was by trade a 
tailor, and after leaving the army, worked both in Simsbury 
and Canton. In 1779 he married Sarah, daughter of Dr. 



30 



Samuel Barber, and lived some years on the side of the 
mountain, west of tlie house of Norton Case. He afterward 
built a house and lived some thirty years or more, on the 
high ground, some fifty rods west of the house of Daniel 
Barber ; he afterward lived, and died in the house now 
owned by Levi, and Salmon D. Case, on the East Hill. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




John G. Bandell, 


1754, 


1832, 


78. 




Sarah Barber, 


1761, 


1829, 


68. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Alana, 


1781. 






Married Grove Case. 


G-eorge, 


1783, 


1846, 


64. 




Daniel, 


1784, 


1832, 


48. 


Married Lucy Jones. 


Frederick, 


1786. 






Married 1st, Susan Bunce; 2d, 
Thirza Eaton. 


William, 


1788. 






Married Lydia Andruss. 


Keturah, 


1791. 






Married Levi Case. 


Asahel, 


1794, 


1834, 


40. 


Married Emily Carrier. 


Mercy, 


1796. 






Married Bishoii Nichols. 


Samuel, 


1799. 






Married 1st, Amelia Hart; 2d, 
Thirza Russell. 


Olive, 


1803. 






Married Levi Gridley. 


Roxy, 


1804. 






Married Roswell Russell. 


Roxanna, 


1807. 






Married Eli Case. 



EPHRIAM BUEL, Jun. He with his wife Mercy, a sis- 
ter of Samuel Barber, came from Old Simsbury, about 1743, 
and settled on land adjoining their brother Thomas. Their 
house was on the west side of Cherries brook near the west 
end of the saw-mill, built by Humphrey & Brown. They 
both died near the same time not far from 1745. The farm 
was then rented to Ichabod Miller, who occupied it from 
twelve to eighteen years. They left two little daughters^ 
orphans. Mindwell, the oldest of them, afterward became 
the wife of Roger Case. The youngest of them died in 
childhood, leaving valuable landed property for the surviv- 
ing heiress. 



31 





Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age- 


Mindwell, 


1741, 


1804, 


63. 


Mary, 




1743, 


1745. 





PETEK CURTIS, with bis wife, settled in West Sims- 
bury, about 1744, on lands now owned by Ezekiel Hosford, 
at a place then called Onion brook. 



Parents. 

Peter Ciirtie, 
Miss Parker. 



Born. Died. Age. 
1713, 1756. 44. 



She came from Wallingford. 



Children. 



Israel, 

Eliphalet, 

Liicj', 

Athildred, 

Peter, 2d. 

Amreth, 

Gideon, 

Prudence, 

Charles. 

Solomon, 



Born. Died. Age. 

He died in the army. 
1734, 180B, 72. Married Margaret Dj-er. 
1739, 1810, 77. Married Col. Amasa Mills. 

Married Sylvanus Wilcox. 
1745, 1805, 60. Married Eli Case. 

Married Bigelow Lawrence. 
1751, 1789, 38. Married Betsy Mills. 

Married Joshua Woodruff. 

1754, 1777, 23. Died of small-pox. 



Peter Curtis was the first adult person buried in the 
North burying-ground. 



Capt. ELIPHALET CURTIS, was the second son of 
Peter Curtis. He resided on the premises left him by his 
father. The farm is now owned by Gen. Ezekiel Hosford. 
He removed to western New York in the year 1800, where 
he died in 1806, aged about 70 years. 

He married Margaret, daughter of Benjamin Dyer, who 
survived him a number of years, and died in the year 1812, 
in the stone house now owned by Lester Mather. 



32 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 






Eliphalet, Jun., 


1758, 


1816, 


58. 


Married 1st, Mary Wilcox ; 
Mrs. Holcomb. 


2d, 


Margaret, 


1760, 


1798, 


38. 


Died single. 




Thedosia. 








Married 1st, Zebina Moses; 
Benajah Holcomb. Jun. 


2d, 


Chrastina. 








Married Soloman Woodruff. 




Narcissa. 








Married Joseph Olcott. 




Agnes. 








Married Soloman Dill, Jun. 




Horace, 


177], 






Married Chloe Poison. 




Gad, 


1774, 


1853, 


79. 


Married 1st, Eunice Porter ; 
Cherissa Wilcox. 


2d, 


Israel. 












Sarah, 


1780, 


1785, 


5. 


Died in childhood. 





Capt. Curtis was an officer in the revolutionary army in 
the first years of the war. 



Maj. ISEAEL CURTIS, oldest son of Peter Curtis, 
Sen., married Elizabeth Andrus. In his early married state 
he resided in the near vicinity of his father's house. They 
buried one child named Elizabeth ; he had a son named 
Zebina, afterward became of notoriety in Windsor, Vermont. 
He removed to Windsor, Vermont, sometime previous to 
the commencement of the Revolutionary war, and died a 
major in the northern army. 



Maj. peter CURTIS, third son of Peter Curtis, Sen., 
settled in Farmington ; was an officer in the American army 
of the Revolution; was after the war a brigade major and also 
a major in the line. He was the first keeper of Newgate 
prison, in Granby, commencing 1790, and left it in 1796, 
in declining health, and died in 1797. He had two sons 
Jeptha and Adna, and tAvo daughters. Betsey and Nancy. 



33 

GIDEON CURTIS, was the 4th son of Peter Curtis, 
Sen. He married Elizabeth or Betsey, daughter of Rev. 
Gideon Mills. He resided on the premises, and built the 
house now standing some forty rods north-east from Gen. 
Ezekiel Hosf ord's. He was by occupation a blacksmith. He, 
by an overlifting in his youthful days, brought on a disease or 
weakness of the back, which caused him to endure frequent 
spells of sickness and suffering by turns through his remain- 
ing years, and brought him down to the grave in 1789. 
Several circumstances and traits of character in this excel- 
lent man, and his amiable companion, are thought worthy 
of notice in this short sketch of a few things respecting 
them. They were both, in their natural turn and deport- 
ment uncommonly kind and agreeable, but beyond this, they 
both exhibited those good properties that go to show what 
divine grace can raise some of our human race to be in the 
humbler walks of life. They both, to an eminent degree 
manifested Christian resignation under adversity, which, at 
the same time was at a great remove from unfseling indif- 
ference. Some things respecting Mr. Curtis will here be no- 
ticed. He was troubled with stammering in his speech, to 
an uncommon degree. He was a singer of the first order. 
His voice and scientific accomplishments would compare 
well among the first masters and teachers of that time, 
though his knowledge and his high attainments, were pro- 
duced by his own native musical genius, aided by his own 
application to the science as he had opportunity. 

His impediment in speech was no embarrassment in his 
singing except in mentioning tunes, and occasional speak- 
ing, and his vital strength held out to within a short time of 
his death. His weakness, and spinal sensitiveness was such 
that for many weeks he required to be lifted from his bed to 
his chair, and even to be turned from side to side on his bed, 
yet he could join with his friends and attendants who loved 
singing, and would occasionally favor them by singing some 
European or American set pieces, which he had in his 
mental store, consisting of music from Madan, and others. 
He would often sing the anthem from 7th of Job, music by 



34 



Lyons, and remark at tlie close, that it was applicable to his 
own case; he loved to sing the Dying Christian, music by Bil- 
lings. Having sold the place on which he commenced his 
family state, he lived his last year in a house then standing 
the west side of the road, opposite the house of James Hum- 
phrey, and died there. He was viewed by Christian people 
as one who could understandingly confide in the rectitude of 
God's dealings with him. The same traits of character were 
seen to adorn the life of his worthy partner, both during his 
life, and through the remainder of her life, which closed in A.D. 
1825. She, for the last twenty-seven years of her life,was the 
wife of the Rev. Rufus Hawley, of Northington, (now Avon.) 
It appeared to be a settled principle with her, that whatso- 
ever God did was right. They were the parents of six chil- 
dren. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 


Gideon Curtis, 
Elizabeth (or Betsey) 
Mills, 


1751, 
1753, 


1789, 38. 
1825, 72. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 


Child, 
Gideon, 2d, 


1774, 
1775. 


1774. 


Solomon, 


1778. 




Drayton Mills, 


1781. 





Norman, 



1785. 



Elizabeth, or Betsey, 1788. 



Married an adopted daughter 
of Capt. Sweet, of Nor- 
folk. 

Married a daughter of Samuel 
Eggleston. 

Married a lady educated by the 
Moravians. 

He was a stammerer. 

Married Thomas Gleason, of 
Avon. 



These families that bore the name of Curtis were among 
the most prominent in West Simsbury, the later part of the 
last century, although the race has now become almost ex- 
tinct in this town, and but very few are now living that had 
any knowledge of them. 



35 

Serg. DANIEL CASE, 2d. He removed from the old 
parish to West Simsbury about the year 1746 or 47, accom- 
panied by his three brothers, Dudley, Zacheus, and Ezekiel, 
and two sisters, Mindwell, wife of David Adams, and Lois, 
wife of Joseph Mills, Jun. He resided on the premises now 
occupied by Calvin Case. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Daniel Case, 


1720, 


1801, 


81. 




Mary Watson, 


1724, 


1807, 


83. 


Of New Hartford. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. . 


A.ge. 




Daniel, 


1752, 


1799, 


47. 


Married Elizabeth Humphrey. 


Moses, 


1754, 


1782, 


28. 


Married Eunice Case. 


Mary, 


1756, 


1832, 


, 76. 


Married John Garret. 


Abigail, 


1758, 


1830, 


72. 


Married William Taylor. 


Lois, 


1760. 






Died single. 


Keturah, 


1762, 


1824, 


62. 


Married James Humphrey, Esq. 


Penlope, 


1764, 


1781, 


17. 


Died single. 


Amery Watson, 


1767, 


1852, 


85. 


Married Betsey Hawes. 


Elam, 


1772, 


1848. 


76. 


Married Phebe Andrus, widow 
of Leman Andrus. 



Mr. Daniel Case, erected the first grist-mill in West Sims- 
bury, on the site now occupied by Calvin Case, Jun., and 
Orange Case. 



Serg. DANIEL CASE, Ist, married Penlope Buttolph, 
May 7th, 1719; died May 28th, 1733, aged 37 years. 



Lieut. DANIEL CASE, son of Serg. Daniel Case, 2d, 
married Elizabeth, daughter of Capt. Ezekiel Humphrey, 
Sen., about A. D. 1771. They resided on the farm now 
owned by Stephen H. Atwater. 



36 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Daniel Case, 1753, 1799, 47. 

Elizabeth Humphrey, 1750, 1808, 58. 



Children. 


Born. Died. 


Nancy, 


1772. 


Daniel, 


1774. 


Harvey, 


1777. 


Moses, 


1779. 


Penlope. 




Hugh. 





Was killed by the bursting of 
a cask of burning spirits, 
1800. 



Ruel. 



The cliildren removed to tlie state of New York, at the 
beginning of this century. 



OZIAS CASE, son of Lieut. Dudley Case. He resided 
the early part of his family state in the near vicinity of the 
house of Dea. Lester Mather; there he lost one or more of 
the early members of his family. About 1791 he removed 
to Otis, Mass., where he spent the remainder of his life. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 


Ozias Case, 


1757, 


1820, 63. 


Mary Hill, 




1804. 


Amy Baldwin, 




1811. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 


Mary, or Polly, 


1774. 




Ozias, Jun , 


1776. 




Manna, 


1779. 




Dorcas. 






Luman. 






George, 


1790. 




Dencey, 


1792. 





Married Charles Segar. 
Married Esther D'Wolf . 
Married Electa Barber. 



Married 



Humphrey, 



Married 1st, Thomas Bidwell, 
Jun.; 2d, Amos Rising. 



Dudley. 



37 



Lieut. DUDLEY CASE. He removed from the old 
parish to West Simsbury, about the year 1742. He resided 
on the place known as the Hosford Stand, where he kept 
public house for a long succession of years. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 


Dudley Case, 


1722, 


1792, 70. 


Dorcas Humphrey, 


1726, 


1805, 79. 


Cbildren. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 


Dudley, 


1744, 


1822, 78. 


Elisha, 


1747. 




Ozias, 


1749. 




Elias, 


1753, 




Elisha, 


1755, 


1839, 84. 


Ozias, 


1757. 




Elias, 


1759, 


1809, 50. 


Dan, 


1761, 


1815, 54. 


Dorcas, 


1764, 


1849, 85. 


Truman, 


1767, 


1836, 69. 


Emmanuel, 


1769, 


1782, 13. 



Married 1st, Susannah Merrell; 

2d, Lucretia Case. 
Died in youth. 
Died in youth. 
Died in youth. 
Married Delight Griswold. 
Married Mary Hills. 
Married Lucretia Foot. 
Married 1st, Rachel Foot ; 2d, 

Allice Hallock. 
Married 1st, Benjamin Mills ; 

2d, Nodiah Woodruff. 
Married Rhoda Lusk. 



They had eleven children, ten sons and one daughter. 



Capt. DUDLEY CASE, Jun., son of Lieut. Dudley 
Case, married Susannah, daughter of Jonathan Merrell, Sen. 
He resided on the premises now owned by the heirs of the 
late Hiram Pike, near the confines of New Hartford. They 
had no children. For his second wife, he married Lucretia, 
relict of Capt.Elias Case. He was born in 174A ; died 1822, 
aged 78 years. His first wife, Susannah, died 1810. Lucre- 
tia, his second wife, died 1843. 



38 

Dea. ELISHA case, fifth son of Lieut. Dudley Case, 
grandson of Daniel Case, Sen., and of the fifth degree inclu- 
sive from the first John Case. He resided on the premises 
now occupied by Newell Miner. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Elisha Case, 


1755, 


1839, 


84. 




Delight Griswold, 


1757, 


1842, 


85. 


Daughter of Samuel Gris- 
wold. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. . 


Age. 




Almira, 


1777, 


1808, 


31. 


Married David Wilmot. 


Sally, 


1779, 


1846, 


67. 


Married Thaddeus, son of Dea. 
Benjamin Mills. 


Elisha, 


1781, 


1824, 


48. 


Married Abia Barber, daughter 
of John Barber. 


Delight G., 


1783, 


1810, 


27. 


Married John Barber, 2d. 


Allen, 
Zulima, 


1785, 
1787, 


1849, 
1802, 


64. 
15. 


Married 1st, Sally, daughter 
of Obed Higley; 2d, Cath- 
arine, daughter of Phineas 

Squires. 


Erastus, 


1789. 






Married Mary, daughter of Col. 
Theodore Pettibone. 


Electa, 


1791. 






Married Reuben Hill. 


Harvey, 
Fanny, 


1793, 
1796, 


1853, 
1796. 


60. 


Married Amelia, daughter of 
Col. Arnold Humphrey. 


John, 


1797, 


1854, 


57. 


Married Susan, daughter of 
Maj. Gad Frisbie. 


Emily, 


1799. 






Married Lemuel "Whitman. 


Fanny, 


1802. 






Married 1st, Tracy Humphrey; 
2d, Hurlbut. 


Edmund, 


1806, 


1848, 


42. 


Married 1st, Nancy C. Hin- 
man; 2d, Harriet R. King. 



Dea. ABRAHAM CASE, son of Bartholomew and Mary, 
daughter of Ensign Samuel Humphrey, married 1699. 



39 



He, with bis brother Amos, removed from the old society 
about the year 1740. He resided on the East Hill, on the 
premises occupied by the heirs of his grandson, Lyman 
Case, deceased. He had nine children, two sons and seven 
daughters; all were married and had children except Abra- 
ham and Rachel. It is proper to state here that for a great 
number of years the East Hill went by the name of Chest- 
nut Hill. The appellation now given to it is of more recent 
date. 



Parents. 



Born- Died. Age. 



Abraham Case, 1720, 1800, 80. 

1st wife, Rachel Case, 1723, 1790. 
2d, widow Webster, 1727. 



Sister of Capt. Josiah Case. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. . 


Age. 


Rachel, 




1741, 


1759, 


18. 


Abraham, 


Jun, , 


1743, 


1776, 


33. 


Rosauna, 




1745, 


1807, 


G3. 


Elisha, 




1747, 


1808, 


61. 


Sarah, 




17.52, 


1781, 


30. 


Eunice, 




1753. 






Hannah, 




1755, 


1808, 


53. 


Elizabeth, 




1757, 


1836, 


79. 


Phebe, 




1759, 


1798, 


54. 



Married Sarah Humphrey. 
Married Ezra Wilcox. 
Married 1st, Judith Case; 2d, 

Elizabeth Case. 
Married Caleb Case. 
Married 1st, Mo.ses Case; 2d, 

Ebenezer Cowles. 
Married Charles Humphrey. 
Married Giles Humphrey. 
Married Jeremy Griswold. 



ABRAHAM CASE, Jun., married Sarah, oldest daughter 
of Oliver Humphrey, Esq. They resided on what was call- 
ed the Fowler farm, situated north of Collinsville, and now 
belongs to the farm of Addison O. Mills. They left no 
children. He died about 1776; his widow afterward married 
to Rev. Abraham Fowler, and by him, had one son, born 
1784, named Abraham Case Fowler. 



40 



Capt. ELISHA case, son of Dea. Abraham Case, mar- 
ried Judith, daughter of Jeremiah or Jeremy Case. He 
resided on the farm left by his father and father-in-law. 
They, during their family state, had seven children, four of 
whom (the two first and two last) sunk into idiocy and 
died in early youth. Three of them lived to adult years, 
settled in family state and had children. 



Parents. 

Elisha Case, 
Judith Case. 



Born. Died. Age. 

1747, 1808, 61. 
1749, 1805, 56. 



Children that grew up. Born. Died, Age. 



Grove, 
Roxy, 



Lyman, 



1773. Married Alana Bandell . 

1776, 1811, 35. Married 1st, William McFar- 

land; 2d, William Wilcox, 

Jun. 

1778. 1832, 54. 



AMOS CASE, brother of Abraham Case, removed from 
the old parish to West Simsbury, about the year 1740. 

They were sons of Bartholomew and Marv, daughter of 
Ensign Samuel Humphrej^ who were married in the year 
1699. 

He resided on the East Hill, in the house lately occupied 
by Abel Case, and now occupied by Myron Case. 

Thej' had ten children, five sons and five daughters, who 
all lived to adult years, and all left children, except Seth 
and Lucy. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Amos Case, 


1712, 


1798, 86. 


Married, 1739. 


Mary Hoi comb. 


1714, 


1802, 88. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Mary, 


1739, 


1834, 95. 


Married Simeon Case, son of 
Richard Case. 2d. 


Ruth, 


1742, 


1794, 52. 


Married Richard Case, son of 
Richard Case, 2d. 



41 



Hiildah, 


1744, 


1774, 


30. 


Died single. 


Amos, 


1746, 


1798, 


52. 


Married Betsey Ward. 


Abel, 


1748, 


1834, 


86. 


Married 1st, Huldah Higley; 2d, 
Lucy Perry. 


Silas, 


1749, 


1809, 


59. 


Married 1st, Jane Kelly: 2d, 
Mary Case. 


Lucy, 


1752, 


1837, 


85. 


Married 1st, Ruggles Hum- 
phrey; 2d. Solomon Buel. 


Pliney, 


1754, 


1780, 


26. 


Married Rhoda Merrell. 


Rhoda, 


1757, 


1786, 


29. 


Married Hosea Case, 2d. 


Seth, 


1760, 


1776, 


16. 


Died single. 



Seth, the youngest son, died in the American army, near 
New York, in 1776, and although his brothers, Abel and 
Silas, were there at the same time, they were not allowed 
by their officers to see him during his sickness. 



ABEL CASE, Sen., second son of Amos Case, Sen., mar- 
ried Huldah Higley, daughter of the second Brewster Hig- 
ley. He resided through life on the premises that were 
previously occupied b}' his father, in the East Hill school 
district. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Abel Case, Sen., 1748, 1834, 86. Married. 1777. 
1st wife, Huldah Hig- 
ley, 1750, 1810, 60. 
2d wife, Lucy Perry. 1815. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Huldah, 


1778. 




Married Jabez Hamblin ; 
died 1834, aged 56. 


Abel, Jun., 


1783, 


1831, 48. 


Married Rachel Humphrey. 


Dinah, 


1786, 


1848, 62. 


Married Ira Case. 


Tirzah, 


1787. 




Married Sadoce Case. 


Carmi, 


1793, 


1815, 22. 





he 



42 



SILAS CASE, third son of Amos Case, Sen. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Silas Case, 1749, 1809, 59. 

1st wife, Jane Kelly, 1777. 

2cl wife, Mary Case, 1755, 1833, 74. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. . 


A.ge. 






Kelly, 


1777. 






Married 1st, Roxy Hoskins ; 
Mabel Steele. 


; 2d, 


Polly, 


1781, 


1850, 


69. 


Married Griles Case. 




Ira, 


1782, 


1848, 


66. 


Married Mary Humphrey, 
Dinah Case. 


and 


Silas, Jun., 


1785, 


1816, 


31. 






Levi, 


1787. 






Married Keturah Bandell. 




Ruggles, 


1789. 






Married Cynthia Case. 




Jane, 


1792. 






Married Holcomb Case. 




Lucy, 


1794. 






Married Everest Case. 




Gad, 


1796. 






Married Tirzah Gibbons. 




Ruth, 


1799, 


1832, 


33. 


Married Case Braman. 





Serg. EICHAKD case, 2d. He was son of Capt. 
Richard, and grandson of the first John Case. He removed 
to West Simsbnry in 1737, and is supposed to have been 
the first settler, and to have erected the first dwelling-house 
in this portion of the town. His son Sylvanus has ever 
been reputed to have been the first English child born 
within the limits of West Simsbury. He resided on the 
East Hill; the building-site is still to be seen opposite the 
dwelling-house lately erected by his great grandson, John 
Case, Esq. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age. 




Richard Case, 


1710, 1769, 59. 




Mercy Holcomb, 


1712, 1780, 68. 




Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 




Richard, 3d 


1734, 1805, 71. 


Married Ruth Case 


Joab, 


1735, 1758, 4. 





43 



Sylvanus, 


1737, 


1817, 


80. 


Married 1st, Caroline Hum- 
phrey; 2d, widow Hepzibah 
Humphrey; she died, 1818, 
aged 74. 


Simeon, 


1739, 


1822, 


83. 


Married Mary Case. 


Eli, 


1741, 


1804, 


63. 


Married Athildred Curtis. 


Uriah, 


1743, 


182G, 


83. 


Married 1st, Susannah Law- 
rence; 2d, Eunice Dill. 


Edward, 


1748, 


1832, 


75. 


Married Zertiah Lawrence. 


Phineas, 


1750, 


1798, 


48. 


Married Sarah Tuller. 


Mercy, 


1752, 


1818, 


66. 


Married Abram Moses. 


Naoma, 


1755, 


1832, 


66. 


Married David Pettibone. 


Timothy, 


1759, 


1850, 


92. 


Married Esther Brown. 



In this family of eleven children they all lived to adult 
years, and married, except Joab. 



SYLVANUS CASE, third son of Richard Case, 2d. 
He lived about forty rods, north of the present site of the 
East Hill school-house ; the site now belongs to Theron 
Case. 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Sylvanus Case, 1737, 1817, 80. 

1st wife, Caroline 
Humphrey. 

2d wife, Hepzibah 
Humphrey. 1743, 1817, 74. Widow of William Humphrey. 



Widow ot Benajah Humphrey. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Caroline, 


1776. 




Married Allen Woodruff, of Far- 
mington. 


Sylvanus, 2d., 


1778, 


1806, 28. 


Dropped dead while working in 
the field. 


Hepzibah. 
Rufus. 






Married David Latimer, of 
Simsbury. 

Married Polly Dibble, of South- 
wick. 



44 



Capt. UKIAH case, son of Serg. Eichard Case, 2d. 
He resided on the farm left by his father on the East Hill. 
For his first wife he married Susan Lawrence ; 2d, Eunice 
Dill ; 3d, Mary Case, widow of Silas Case, He had four 
children by his first wife, and eleven by his second. He 
died 1826, aged 83. His wife died 1815, aged 61. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Zilpah, 


1766, 






Sylvia, 


1768. 






Uriah, Jun., 


1771. 






Susannah, 


1774, 


1808, 


34. 


Eunice, 


1780. 






Joab, 


1779, 


1818, 


39. 


Watson, 


1781, 


1853, 


72. 


Elizabeth, 


1783, 


1808, 


25. 


Holcomb, 


1784, 


1854, 


69. 


Lorinda, 


1786, 


1808, 


22. 



Cl^^^' [twins, 
Laura, ) 

Cynthia, 

Lydia, 

Lucinda, 



1788. 

1788, 1842, 54. 

1793. 

1791, 1822, 31. 

1796 



Married Isaiah Taylor. 

Married 1st, Amasa Tuller; 2d, 
David Sutliff. 

Married Sarah Noble ;* she 
died 1807, aged 31. 

Married Jared Mills, Jun. 

Married Rosvrell Reed. 

Married Sarah Case. 

Married Sylvia Case. 

Died single. 

Married Jane Case. 

Died single;. she and Elizabeth 
were both buried at the 
same time; they both died 
very near the same time of 
the spotted fever. 

Married Charles Humphrey. 
Married Ruggles Case. 

Married Hiram Case. 



ELI CASE, son of Serg. Richard Case, 2d, resided on 
the premises now owned by Luciau B. Case, on the East 
Hill. 



Parents- 

Eli Case, 
Athildred Curtis, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1741, 1804, 62. 
1745, 1805, 60. 



* She was the first person interred in the burying-ground in Suffrage Village. 
Her death was occasioned by jumping from a waggon ; a lady riding with her re- 
mained in the waggon and escaped unhurt. 



45 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Athildred, 


176C, 


1804, 


38. 


Married Ephraim B. Case. 


Eli, Jiin., 


17G8, 


1795, 


27. 


Married Hannah Alford. 


Riverius, 


1770, 


1823, 


53. 


Married Abigail Case. 


Zabad, 


1772, 


1836, 


64. 


Married Sarah Merritt. 


Giles, 


177G, 


1851, 


75. 


Married Mary Case. 


Orange, 


1779, 


1814, 


35. 


Married Sarah Jones; was killed 
in falling a tree. 


Thede, 


1781. 






Married Ozias Woodford. 


Calvin, 


1783. 






Married 1st, Diantha Humphrey; 
2d, Sarah Case. 


Chastina, 


178i, 


1826, 


42. 


Married David Ackart. 


Harriet, 


1788, 


184.5, 


57. 


Married Trueman Allen. 



It is sujDposed one died in infancy. 



TIMOTHY CASE, son of Serg. Kichard Case, 2d, 
grandson of Richard, 1st, and great grandson of the first 
John Case, with his wife, Esther, daughter of Capt. John 
Brown, commenced family state about 1781. They resided 
on the premises now owned by his grandnephew, John Case, 
Esq., till 1797; then removed to Otis, Mass., and lived there 
till 1822 ; they then removed to Andover, Ohio, to spend 
the remainder of their days. They had fourteen children. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Timothy Case, 


1759, 


1850, 92. 


Married 1781. 


Esther Brown, 


1762, 


1838, 76. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Infant, 




1782. 




Infant, 




1783. 




Esther, 


1784, 


1846, 62. 


INIarried Daniel Strickland 


Flora, 


1786. 




Married Pratt. 


Timothy, Jun., 


1788, 


1816, 28. 


Married Roeny Brewster. 


Alcy, 


1789, 




Married Amos Miner. 


Amorett, 


1791. 




Married Ira Nichols. 


Hannah, 


1793. 




Married 0. Clarke. 



46 



Hiram, 


1795, 


1815, 


20. 


Died single, 


Salmon, 


1797, 


1844, 


47. 




Norman, 


1799, 


1822, 


24. 




Selah, 


1801. 








Orren, 


1803, 


1803. 






Orren Brown, 


1804. 









PHINEAS CASE, son of Serg. Richard Case, 2d, with 
his wife, lived in West Granby, near by his brother Richard, 
till about 1792, when he moved on to the place, which is 
the east part of the farm of Israel W. Graham, where he re- 
sided through life. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Phineas Case, 
Sarah Tuller. 


1750, 


1798 


, 48. 




Children. 


Born- 


Died. 


Age. 




Sally. 

Lovisa. 

Mercy. 

Rosella. 

Amorett. 

Phineas, Jun. 

Leman, 








Married James Ross. 

Married Edgar Taylor. 
Married Edmund Miner. 

Married Sally Beckwith, 



It appears by burial-record, they lost an infant in 1781; 
one in 1782, and one in 1794. 



Lieut. RICHARD CASE, or Richard 3d, oldest son of 
Serg. Richard, 2d, and Mercy Case, married Ruth, daughter 
of Amos Case, Sen., about 1756. He resided on the farm, 
and erected the dwelling-house lately owned by the mem- 
bers of the Jacob Edgerton family, in West Granby. 



Parents. 



47 



Born. Died. Age. 



Richard Case, 3d, 1734, 1805, 71. 
1st wife, Ruth Case, 1741, 1794, 53. 
2d wife, Mary Case, 1732, 1817, 85. 



Children. 


Born- 


Died. . 


A.ge, 




Richard, Jun., or 4th, 


, 1757. 






Married Jemima Moore. 


Ruth, 


1759, 


1854, 


, 95. 


Married Moses Miller. 


George. 








Married Lucy Hayes. 


Jemima. 








Married Oliver Case. 


Japhet, 


17GG, 


1809, 


43. 


Married Chloe Thrall. 


Starling. 








Married Isabel Wilcox. 


Apphia, 


1773, 


1796, 


24. 




Huldah, 


1774, 


1794, 


21. 




Chauncey, 


1777. 






Married Cleopatra Hayes. 


Gideon, 


1779, 


1849, 


70. 


Married Temperance Miner 


Cyrus, 


1781. 






Married Abigail Couch. 


Olive, 


1783. 






Married Noah Case, 3d. 


Freeman, 


1789. 






Married Sybil Bliss, 



SIMEON CASE, son of Serg. Eichard Case, 2d, with 
his wife Mary, daughter of Amos Case, Sen., settled in fam- 
ily state, about 1759. They resided on the premises that 
were owned by the heirs of the late Francis Case, in West 
Granby. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Simeon Case, 


1739, 


1823, 84. 




Mary Case, 


1739, 


1826, 86. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Simeon, Jun., 


1756, 


1819, 57. 


Married Phebe Burr. 


Titus, 


1764, 


1816, 51. 


Married Amy Reed. 


Mary, 


1771, 


1821. 50. 




Obed, 


1765, 


1849, 84. 


Married Rachel Emmons. 


Eliphalet, 


1770, 


1847, 77. 


Married Rachel Case ; 
1813, aged 46. 


Ashbel, 


1762, 


1816, 44. 


Married Polly Frazier. 



died 



48 



Alexander, 

Francis, 
Robert, 
Peter. 
Elizabeth. 



1774, 1824, 50. Married Mindwell Case ; died 

1830, aged 51. 
1777, 1845, 68. Married Jemima Case. 
1780, Married Clarrissa Case. 

Married Reuben Russell. 



Oapt. JOSIAH case. He was son of James Case and 
Esther Fithen. He removed from the old parish to West 
Simsbury about the year 1743. He resided on the premises 
now occupied by his grandson, Gen. Jarvis Case, Esq., on 
Chestnut Hill. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Josiah Case, 


1717, 


1789, 


72. 




Hestor Higley, 


1719, 


1807, 


88. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Lois, 


1741, 


1759, 


18. 




James, 


1743, 


1820, 


77. 


Married 1st, Phebe Tuller; 
2d, Lydia Case. 


Hestor, 


1745, 


1790, 


45. 


Married 1st, Thomas Case ; 2d, 
Carmi Higley ; 3d, Abram 
Pinney. 


Hannah, 


1750, 


1833, 


83. 


Married Amos Wilcox. 


Betty, 


1752, 


1817, 


G3. 


Married John Barber. 


Fithen, 


1758, 


1829, 


77. 


Married Amarila Humphrey. 



JEEEMY CASE, son of Capt. James Case. He, with 
his wife Judith, came from Simsbury about the year 1745. 
He settled on the place now owned by the family of the late 
David Ackart, deceased. He had as far as is known three 
children. 



Children. 



Jeremy, 

William, 

Judith, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1746. 
1751. 
1749, 1805, 56. 



Married to a Miss Phelps. 
Married Sarah Hicox. 
Married Elisha Case. 



49 

Capt. FITHIN CASE, second son of Capt. Josiah Case- 
settled where his son, Gen. Jarvis Case, now lives. In this 
family of eleven children they all lived to settle in family 
state except Salma. 



Parents. 



Born. Died. Age. 



Fithin Case, 1758, 1829 71. 

Amarilla Humphrey, 1764, 1845, 81. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Mariah, 


1781, 


1856, 


75. 


Fithin, Jun., 


1784, 


1853, 


69. 


Mature, 


1786. 






Amarilla, 


1788. 






Jcsiah, W. , 


1790, 


1830, 


40. 


Salma, 


1792, 


1794, 


2. 


Lavinia Charity, 


1794. 






Jasper, 


1796. 






Melissa, 


1799. 






Jarvis, 


1801. 






Julia, 


1805, 


1845, 


40. 



Married Moses Case, son of 
Lieut. Moses Case ; died 
1850, aged 75. 

Married Statira Phelps. 

Married Abia Tuller. 

Married Chauncey Eno. 

Married Agnes Case. 

Married Col. Salmon Merrell, 
Married Flora Humphrey. 
2d wife of Ithuel Gridley. 
Married Lucia Adams. 
Ist wife of Ithuel Gridley^ 



Dea. HOSEA case. He removed from the old parish 
to West Simsbury, about the year 1752. 

He resided on the hill, east of Isaac TuUer's, now Augus- 
tus H. Carrier's. 

They had eleven children; four sons and seven daughters; 
all were married except Dorcas, and nine of them left de- 
scendants. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age. 




Hosea Case, 


1793. 




Mary Case, 


1817. 




Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 




Mary, 


1753. 


Married John Hill, of Burling- 
ton. 



50 



"Elizabeth, 


1753, 


1839, 


86. 


Married Reuben Barber. 


Hosea, 


1756, 


1834, 


78. 


Married 1st, Rhoda Case; 2d, 
Sarah Buel. 


Asa, 


1758, 


1837, 


78. 


Married 1st, Lois Dill; 2d, Thede 
Humphrey. 


Lydia, 


1761. 






Married Benjamin Barber. 


Dosa, 


1763, 


1778, 


15. 


Died in single life. 


Rosanna, 


1766, 


1839, 


73. 


Married Peter Frederick 
Buel. 


Titus, 


1768, 


1845, 


76. 


Married 1st, Rebecca Eggleston; 
2d, Phebe Tuttle. 


Eunice, 


1770. 






Married Arba Alford. 


Xiodama, 


1774. 






Married Aaron Case. 


Phebe, 


1776, 


1745, 


69. 


Married 1st, Leman Andrus ; 
2d, Elam Case, 



Capt. ZACHEUS case, brother of Daniel, Dudley and 
Ezekiel, removed from Meadow-plain, old parish, to West 
Simsbury, about the year 1746, or 47. 

He resided on the premises now occupied by Ephraim 
Mills, Esq. 

He with his wife, and their son Caleb, removed to Whites- 
town, New York, in 1792. 



Parents. 



Born. Died. Age- 



Zacheus Case, 


1728, 


1812, 


, 84. 




Abigail Barber, 


1730, 


1798, 


, 68. 




Children. 


Born- 


Died. 


Age. 




Caleb, 


1754. 






Married 2d, Sarah Case ; 3d, 
Rhoda Case. 


Zacheus, 


1757. 






Died in youth. 


Abigail, 


1759. 






Married Charles Wilcox. 


Mary, 


1761, 


1809, 


48. 


Married Col. William Wilcox. 


Sarah, 


1764, 


1830, 


66. 


Married 1st, Jedediah Wilcox ; 
2d, Frederick Humphrey ; 
3d, Wait Munson. 


Thede, 


1766, 


1851. 


86. 


Married lst,Benajah Humphrey; 
2d, Asa Case. 


Rhoda, 


1768. 


1798, 


30. 


Married Caina Mills. 


Ruth, 


1770, 


1809, 


39. 


Married Daniel Alburtson, 



61 



CALEB CASE, son of Capt. Zaclieus and Abigail Case, 
erected the house now owned by Plinny Case, and resided 
in it during part of his family state in Canton. 



Parents. 



Born. Died. Age. 



Caleb Case, 1754. 

1st wife, Sarah Case 1751, 1781, 30. Daughter of Dea. Abraham 

Case. 
2d wife, Rhoda Case, 1757, 1792, 35. Widow of Plinny Case. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Horris, 


1776. 






Married Sarah, daughter of 
William Case. 


Betsey, 


1778. 








Sarah, 


1780, 






Married 1st, Joab Case; 2d, Ab- 
salom Graham. 


Zacheus, 


1787. 








Philemon, 


1788. 








Rhoda, 


1792. 









NOAH CASE, Sen., second son of John Case, 3d. He 
resided about half a mile north-west of where Wells Wilcox 
now lives in the south-west corner of Granby. He was 
brother to Capt, John, Job, Charles and Lucy, and grand- 
father of Noah, Abner and Anson. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Noah Case, 


1720, 


1797, 77. 




Myriam Holcomb, 


1720, 


1795, 75. 




Children, 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Noah, 2d, 


1741, 


1807, 66. 


Married Mary, daughter of 
Lieut. David Adams. 


Amy, 


1744. 




Married Titus Reed. 


Myriam, 


1746, 


1750, 14. 




Roger, 


1748. 






Abuer, 


1752, 


1807, 55. 


Married Hannah Case. 



52 



Ruth, 1754. 

Darius, 1756, 1801, 45. Married Mary Giddings. 

Lydia, 1758, Married James Case. 



DAKIUS CASE, fourth son of Noah Case, Sen., resided 
on the place now owned by his son Anson Case. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Darius Case, 1756, 1801, 46. Married, 1782. 

Mary Giddings. 

Children. Born. Died. Age. 

Darius, 2d, 1783. Married Dilla Barber. 

Clarrissa, 1784, 1827, 43. 1st wife of Robert Case. 

Harriet, 1786. Married Warren Emmons. 

Tempa, 1789. Married 1st, Zacheus Wilcox; 

2d, Amos Tuller. 

Anson, 1791. Married Rachel Case. 

Laura, 1793, 1849, 56. Married William Colt. 

Austin, 1795. 

Rosadile, 1797, 1855, 58. Married Abiel Case. 

The daughter Laura, with her husband, were both killed 
by an accident on a railroad in the State of New Hampshire, 
about six years since. 



EZEKIEL CASE, Sen., a brother of Daniel and Dudley. 
He removed from the old parish to West Simsbury, about 
the year 1754, and settled on the premises now owned by 
Stephen H. Atwater. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age, 

Ezekiel Case, 1731. 

1st wife, LucyCornish, 1770. 

2d wife, Mary Hoskins, Married 1771. 

Children by 1st wife. Born, Died, Age. 

Lucy, 1754, 1777, 23. 1st wife of Solomon Humphrey. 

Ezekiel, 2d, 1756. 



53 



Violet, 




1758. 


Frederick, 




1761. 


Abigail, 




1763. 


Rachel, 




1766. 


Benoni, 




1769. 


Child by 


2d wife. 


Born. Died. Age 


Abijah, 




1771. 



Married Asa Gillet. 



Some incidents in the history of Ezekiel Case, 2cl, may 
be mentioned here. He was in the American army in 1776, 
and for the crime of deserting to the British army, he was 
sentenced to death, but was reprieved and pardoned, by the 
interposition of Elisha Cornish, Sen. In 1793, he was 
brought to capital trial for killing a child of Mr. Aikley, of 
Bloomfield, but was acquitted of murder on the ground of 
insanity. 



JACOB CASE, 1st, born 1699, died 1763, aged 64. 
Abigail Barber, born 1702, died 1779, aged 77. 



JACOB CASE, 2d, son of Jacob and Abigail Case, came 
to West Simsbury about 1760. He settled on the place 
now owned by his granddaughter, widow Godard. They 
had three children, one son and two daughters. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Jacob Case, '2d, 
Elizabeth Hokins. 


173-5, 


1807, 72. 
1804. 


He hung himself in his owh 
bam. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died, Age. 




Betsey, 

Mary, 

Jacob. 




1831. 


Married Jehiel Lattimer. 
Married Abraham Humphrey. 
Died in youth. 



64 



JESSE CASE, son of Jacob Case the first, (who was a 
descendant of Joseph Case,) settled in West Simsburj about 
the year 1763, and lived on the place afterward owned by 
his son the late Augustus Case, deceased. 



Parents. 

Jesse Case, Sen., 
Sarah Humphrey. 



Born. Died. Age. 
1738, 1807, 69. 



Daughter of Capt. Noah Hum- 
phrey. 



Children. 
Jesse, Jun., 

Sarah, 
V Augustus, 
Abigail, 
Aseneth, Ist, 
Aseneth, 2cl, 
Gideon, 
Hannah, 
Charlotte, 

Saloma, 



Born. Died. Age. 
1767, 1842, 75. 

1768. 

1770, 1855, 85. 

1774, 1825, 49. 

1772, 1776, 4. 

1777, 1845, 68. 

1779, 1822, 39. 

1781. 

1785. 



1786, 1787, 1. 



Married Sarah Cornish and 

Lydia Church. 
Married Samuel Leet. 
Married Hannah Hoskins. 
Married Riverius Case. 
Died single. 

Married Persis Seward. 
Married Edmund O. Sullivan. 
Married Allen Barber, of 
Windsor. 



Dea. JESSE CASE, first son of Jesse Case, Sen., resided 
near the paternal homestead, now the residence of Jesse O. 
Case, in the Farms District, Canton, formerly West Sims- 
bury. The old paternal homestead where he was born, 
was the first house built in that section of the town, and 
stood upon the side hill about one hundred rods north-west 
of his late residence. The house in which he lived and 
died, was built by him about the year 1800. 



Parents. 



Born. Died. Age 
1767, 1842, 75. 



Jesse Case, 
Ist wife, Sarah Cor- 
nish, 1773, 1815, 42. 
2d wife, Lydia Church, 1778. 



55 



Children by 1st wife. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Jessie 0., 




1792, 






Married Chloe Gleason. 


Justin, 




1795. 


1802. 






Everest 




1796. 






Married Lucy Case. 


Sarah, 




1798. 






Married Ezekiel H. Wilcox. 


Newton, 




1801, 


1807. 






Ehnina, 




1803. 








Justin 




180.5, 


1841, 


36. 


Married Rachel H. Talcott. 


Newton, 




1807. 






Married Lemira B. Hurlburt. 


Rowena, 




1809, 


1834, 


, 25. 




Abigail, 




1812. 








Children by 2d 


wife. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Lydia C, 




1817, 


1820, 


3. 




Lydia, 




1820 









JOSIAH CLAEKE. He lived and died on the place now 
owned by Kobert Wilcox. He commenced about 1748. Mr^ 
Clarke and several of liis family, were cut down in quick 
succession by a fever of a very malignant type; three of his- 
family were interred in succession in the North burying- 
ground, 1779. 



Parents. 

Josiah Clarke, 
Deliverance, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1727, 1777, 50. 

1728, 1801, 73. 



She was the third 
John Segar. 



wife of 



Children. 

Josiah, 

Deliverance, 

Susannah, 

Elihu, 

Timothy, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1753, 1821, 68, 

1751, 1779, 28. 

1761, 1779, 18. 

1763, 1779, 16. 
1768. 



Married Zilde . 

Married John F. Frasier. 



Married Rachel Gilbert. 



Of the other members of this family, the compiler has no» 
knowledge. 



56 

Mr. CLARKE. He, with his wife and children, 

settled on the farm now known by the name of the Cook 
farm, on Bald Hill, about the year 1743. 

He, with two or three of his sons, were cut down by a 
violent fever, which deprived the family of its help, about 
A. D. 1754. 

The family soon left the place, and it afterward came 
into the hands of Isaac Graham, who lived on it through 
his lifetime. 

But little is known of the family. 



THOMAS CAVERLEE, married Sarah, daughter of 
Isaac and Sarah Graham, and resided for many years, at 
the corner of the old roads, some sixty rods east of his father 
Graham's house, on Bald Hill; Mr. Caverlee's house stood 
near the north-east corner of the lot, south of the road on 
land now belonging to Gideon M. Case. After 1800, he 
resided at different places. He was a soldier of the Revolu- 
tion, but died before the pension law wa-? enacted, so that 
he, with many others died poor, without having received 
any just compensation for their services and suffering in 
their country's cause. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Thomas Caverlee, 


1752, 


1815, 


63. 


Sarah Graham. 








Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Thomas, Jun,, 


1781, 


1781. 




Thomas, 2d, 


1783. 






Sarah, 


1784. 






Melinda, 
Cromwell, 


1786 
1788. 






Britta, 


1794, 


1834, 


30. 



Married Mary Ann . 

Married Buel. 

Married Jonathan Medar, who 
died in New York, 1830. 



57 



BENJAMIN DYER. He was a schoolmate of the re- 
nowned Dr. Benjamin Franklin. He removed with his wife 
from Boston to Hartford, 1735, and in the year 1745, remov- 
ed and settled in West Simsbury, on land now owned by 
Luther Higley, Esq., near the south end of what is claimed 
to belong to the parsonage grant. He was by trade a tallow 
chandler. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Benjamin Dyer, 


1701, 


1775, 


74. 


Born in Boston. 


Margaret Clap. 










Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Thomas, 


1728, 


1803, 


75. 


Married Azubah Humphrey. 


Mary. 








Married Elisha Cornish. 


Benjamin, 1st, 
Joseph. 




1746. 




Died in youth. 

Died in the French War. 


Margaret, 


1738, 


1812. 


74. 


Married Eliphalet Curtis, 


John. 




1793. 




Died single. 


Sarah, 








Married 1st, John Hutchinson 
2d, Mr. Edson. 


Hannah. 








Married Benjamin Adams. 


Benjamin, 2d, 


1747, 


1815, 


68. 


Married Anna Northway. 


Daniel, 


1749, 


1814, 


64. 


Married Sarah Northway. 



The second Benjamin was born November, 17-17, in the 
house now occupied by Luther Higley, Esq., which shows 
that house to have been built 109 years. 



Lieut. BENJAMIN DYER, son of Benjamin and Mar- 
garet Dyer, married Anna Northway, a sister to brother 
Daniel's wife. He resided most of his life, with his brother 
Daniel, and their farms were adjoining and interwoven in 
some measure with each other. 



Parents. 

Benjamin Dyer, 
Anna Northway, 

8 



Born Died. Age. 

1747. 

1752, 1843, 91. 



58 



Child. 



Ralph, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1782, I8il, 59. Married Achsah Bidwell ; she 
died December 25, 1840. 



THOMAS DYER, son of Benjamin and Margaret Dyer, 
resided on land adjoining his father. He commenced about 
the year 1756. He married Azubah, daughter of Samuel 
Humphrey, 3d. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Thomas Dyer, 


1729. 


1803, 


74. 


Azubah Humphrey, 


1737, 


1816, 


79. 


Children. 


Born. 
1762, 


Died. 
1819, 


Age. 


Joseph, 


57. 


Uzziah. 








Thomas, 








Solon. 








Arabella. 








Alleluia, 


1775. 







Elisha, 



1778. 



Wife of Loam Nearing. 

Married Charlotte Petti bone. 

Married Ruth Garrett. 

Married Mallison. 

Married Olmsted. 

Married Abraham Wilcox. 

Married 1st, Frederick Hum- 
phrey, Jun.; 2d, Ebenezer 
Miller. 

Married Clarrissa Humphrey. 



DANIEL DYER son of Benjamin and Margaret Dyer, 
married Sarah, daughter of Samuel and Anna Northway, 
and granddaughter of the noted Mrs. Sarah Woodford, who 
lived to be almost 101 years old. He commenced family 
state about 1774, and resided on the farm left by his honored 
father, Benjamin Dyer. Said premises are now owned by 
Luther Higley, Esq. 



Parents. 

Daniel Dyer, 
Sarah Northway, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1749, 1814, 65. 
1748, 1819, 70. 



59 



Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Sarah, 


1776. 


Cbloe, 


1778. 


Candace, 


1783. 


Norman, 


1786. 


Zenas, 


1788. 


Panthie, 


1793. 



Married Doct. Enoch Leavit. 
Married Uriah Hopkins. 
Married Ashbel Moses, 
Married Diantha Roberts. 
Married Sarah Chidsey. 
Married 1st, Theophilus Dyer- 
2d, Fisk Beach. 



They lost an infant in 1780. 



Doct. JOHN DYEE, son of Benjamin Dyer Sen., lived 
and died single. He died 1793. 



SOLOMON DILL. He removed from Groton to West 
Simsbury about the year 1753. He had one son and three 
daughters. He lived on the East Hill on the farm adjoining 
the Eichard Case farm, and now known as the Morgan 
place; the house that is now standing, was built by him. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age, 




Solomon Dill, 


1731, 


1800, 69. 




Lydia Eggleston, 


1727, 


1789, 63. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Eunice, 


1753, 


1815, 62. 


Married Uriah Case. 


Lois, 


1759, 


1813, 53. 


Married Asa Case. 


Lydia, 


1764, 


1813, 49. 


Married Eber Humphrey 


Solomon, Jun., 


1767. 







DE. SOLOMON EVEEEST was born April 11th,. 
1760, and died April 3d, 1822, aged 62 years. He married 
Miss Amelia Everett, of "Winchester, about the year 1782,. 
who was born, in 1767, and died October 22d, 1843, aged 
86 years. 



60 



Dr. Everest, was a native of Salisbury, Conn., where he 
spent his youthful days. He studied the medical profession 
with Dr. Everett, of "Winchester. 

He first located, as a physician, in the town of Farming- 
ton, now Avon, about the year 1782. In 1796, he removed 
to West Simsbury, now Canton, where he resided the re- 
mainder of his life. As a citizen, of the town of Canton, 
he hardly had his rival. He was a member of the conven- 
tion who formed the constitution of the state of Connecti- 
cut in 1818, several years judge of probate for the district 
of Simsbury, representative in the General Assembly of 
Connecticut, all of which civil appointments he discharged 
with ability, and the strictest integrity. 

As a Christian, his character shone with uncommon lus- 
ter. He was religious without enthusiasm, or austerity, a 
pillar of the church, wherein he was located. For twenty 
years, he officiated as deacon of the first Congregational 
church in Canton, was deeply studied in theology, strictly 
orthodox in the sentiments of the denomination to which 
he belonged. Being possessed of an ample fortune which 
he acquired by persevering industry, and having no lineal 
descendants to provide for. Lie was liberal in his lifetime, in 
aid of religious, and charitable purposes, and by will, left 
munificent bequests, for the same laudable objects. 

As a physician and surgeon, he had but few equals, and 
educated a number of young men, who became eminent in 
their profession. The public, placed so much confidence in 
his professional skill, it was rare that further aid or counsel 
was solicited, even in extreme cases under his management. 
As a man, he left a distinguished mark, upon the age in 
which he lived, and his death, was considered an irreparable 
loss, to the town of Canton, and its vicinity. 

The following incident, which occurred during his medi- 
cal practice, to some may appear bordering on the ludicrous, 
but as it may serve to illustrate the happy expedients he 
could command, when necessary, is the apology for its inser- 
tion here. 

On a certain occasion, he was called in great haste, to 



61 



attend to the case of a young girl, belonging to a somewhat 
marvelous, and eccentric family residing on the borders of a 
neighboring town, who was laboring under the dire malady 
of witchcraft. On repairing to the house where the scenes 
were enacting, he found the patient lying on a bed surround- 
ed by her parents, and grandparents who were in the greatest 
consternation at what was passing before them, and who pa- 
thetically implored the doctor, if possible, to do something to 
alleviate the sufferings of the youthful patient. On inquiring 
into the symptoms, of the case, it appeared, the witches would 
torment her by violently pinching her arms and limbs, so that 
frequently, she would cry out in agony, the witches were 
pinching her, and on removing the clothing from her limbs, 
visible marks of violent pinches would appear on the flesh. 

The doctor in the meantime, kept a sharp lookout, and 
came to the conclusion that the girl was the author of her 
troubles. For instance, when he was closely observing her, 
the witches would refrain from pinching, but if he chanced 
to leave the room, they would commence with renewed vigor. 

Now for the remedy. He quietly remarked to the patient, 
that witchcraft was no uncommon complaint; that he had 
read and studied into the disorder. It was curable^ and he 
could cure it. Two ways would accomplish the object ;. 
either burning or drowning the witches would be effec- 
tive. He ordered a large cistern to be filled with water, and 
the sufferer, to be immersed in it, when the witches should 
again attack her. The operation was carried into effect; the 
first and second time, the witches became less and less fre- 
quent. Before the doctor left, he enjoined on the parents to 
continue the remedy, whenever the witches should make their 
appearance. On the doctors retiring, he remarked to his pa- 
tient, if the water did not effect a cure, he had a large witch 
iron at home, he could bring, and by heating it red hot and 
appliug it to the place affected he could burn the witches 
out of her, and fully accomplish a cure. She listened to 
his remarks with the most profound attention and eventual- 
ly came to the conclusion, that the doctor's remedy, was 
worse than the disease. 



62 

On the succeeding day but one, anxious to learn tlie re- 
sult of his prescriptions, he directed two of his students to 
make a casual call at the residence of the patient, and report 
progress. 

It is needless to add, they returned with the joyful tid- 
ings, the patient was well, and peace and quiet was restored 
to the afflicted family. 



EATON, with his wife, resided on a location 

between the family of Everest Case and sons, and Newell 
Miner. They left Canton about A. D. 1790, and went on 
to a farm in the north part of Burlington, where he spent 
the remainder of his life. But little is known to the writer 
respecting this family. Among his children were Samuel, 
Westover and Lorana ; she connected in marriage with Levi 
Humphrey, son of Michael Humphrey, of Simsbury. 



UEIAH EDGECOMB, married Anna, daughter of Jacob 
Reed ; was the first resident on the premises and erected 
the house which was for many years the residence of the late 
Elihu Olmsted and sons; the names of his children but little 
known. Among them were the wife of Josiah Eussell, John, 
the wife of the late Erastus Daily, and Uriah, Jun. There 
may have been others. He died about A. D. 1810. 



JOHN FOX was an early owner and resident in the 
house, and on the land now owned by the family of the late 
Robert Case, Jun., deceased, adjoining the Ward farm. It 
was understood in the early part of the life of the writer that 
he brought up the young man that bore the name of John 
F. Frazier, who married Deliverance, daughter of Josiah 
Clarke, who died in a time of distressing sickness in 1779. 
Very little is now known to the writer concerning that family. 



63 



HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF FOOTE GENEALOGY. 

The compiler of the annexed statistics of the Foote fam- 
ily, is much indebted to Nathaniel Goodwin, Esq., in his 
excellent collection on Foote genealogy, published in Hart- 
ford, 1849. 

NATHANIEL FOOTE (of whom Capt. John Foote, an 
early settler of West Simsbury, was a descendant of the fifth 
generation) was born in England, in 1593. At the age of 
twenty-two years he married Elizabeth Deming. 

The precise year of his arrival in America is not definitely 
known. The first mention of his name occurs in the re- 
cords of Massachusetts Bay, 1633, when he was admitted a 
freeman. In 1636, we find him a resident of Wethers- 
field. He had seven children, and died 1644, aged 51 years. 
His widow married Thomas Willis, a magistrate, and after- 
ward governor of the colony, whom she survived. She died 
July 28th, 1683, aged 88 years. 





SECOND GENERATION. 




Cbildren. 


Elizabeth, 


born about 16 1 6, in England. 


Nathaniel, 


born about 1620, in England. 


Mary, 


born about 1623, in England. 


Robert 


born about 1627, in England. 


Francis, 


born about 1G29, in England. 


Sarah, 


born about 1632, in England. 


Rebecca, 


born about 1634, in America. 



NATHANIEL FOOTE, of Wethersfield, married Eliz- 



OjUCVLL 


, AU^Wj OlJUU, V4.J.C'>J. J-V^tyf, ""& 

THIRD GENERATION, 




Children. 


Nathaniel, 


born January 10, 1G47. 


Samuel, 


born May 1, 1G19. 


Daniel, 


born May 1, 1653. 


Elizabeth, 


born May 1, 1654. 



64 



SAMUEL FOOTE, of Hatfield, was married to Mary 
Merrick, of Springfield, in tlie same State, 1671. He died 
September 7tb, 1689, aged 40 years. His widow, Mary 
Foote, died October 3d, 1690. 

FOURTH GENERATION. 





Children. 




Nathaniel, 


born 1672. 




Mary, 


born July 9, 1674. 


She died in childhood. 


Samuel, 


born 


Slain by the Indians at 
Deerfield, February 29th, 
1704. 


Mary, 


born February, 28, 1680. 




Sarah, 


born February, 26, 1682. 




Eleazor, 


born September, 5, 1684. 




Thomas, 


born November, 24, 1686. 




Daniel 


born February. 6, 1689. 


Killed by falling from a load 
of hay. 



DANIEL FOOTE. first of Hartford, was married to 
Mary CoUyer, November 19tli, 1718. He removed to Dun- 
caster, Simsbury, where he purchased an extensive farm 
and resided on it the remainder of his life. 

While descending from a load of hay he fell to the ground 
forward of the wheels; the cattle took fright, went forward, 
the wheels passing over him, caused his death about one 
hour thereafter, July 15th, 1740. His widow, Mrs. Mary 
Foote, died June, 1769. aged 71. She died at the residence 
of her son, Capt John Foote, in West Simsbury, and was 
interred in the North burying-ground. 





FIFTH GENERATION. 




Children. 


Samuel, 


born October 4, 1719, in Hartford. 


Mary, 


born November 20, 1721, in Simsbury. 


Daniel, the 




pioneer, 


born April 27, 1724, in Simsbury. 


Joseph, 


born February 17, 1727, in Simsbury. 



65 



John, 


born 


1729. 


Rachel, 


born 


1731. : 


Sarah, 


born 


1732. 


Rachel, 


born March, 


1736. 



Died Jannary 21st, 1737. 



Capt. JOHN FOOTE. He removed from Duncaster, in 
the old parish, about the year 1753. He was twice married; 
first to Rosanna Humphrey, daughter of Jonathan Hum- 
phrey, of the same town, in 1753. Mrs. Rosanna Foote disd 
October 10th, 1793, aged 62 years. His second wife was Mary 
Fowler, of Salem, and she survived him. He resided on the 
farm now owned and occupied by William E. Brown, near 
the intersection of the roads, and about twenty-five rods 
south-west of the present house. 

Capt. John Foote died Sept. 15th, 1812, aged 82 years 
He had children only by his first wife. 



SIXTH GENERATION. 



Children. 



Rosanna, born October 



John, Jun., born January 
Luther, born March 



5, 1761. 



14, 1754. Married Ephraim Mills; 
died October 23d, 18U, 
aged 62. 
9, 1760. Married Lois Mills, died 
June 13th, 1803, aged 42. 
Married 1st, Temperance 
Hays: 2d, Anna Bronson; 
died March 5th, 1834, 
aged 74. 
Married 1st, Elias Case; 2d, 
Dudley Case; died Octo- 
ber Ist, 1844, aged 80. 
born November 27, 1766. Married Dan Case; died 

August, 17S4, aged 18. 
Hilpah Ro- 
siette, born October 18, 1772. Married Lawton Marcy; 

died March, 1846, agod 
78. 
9 



Lucretia, born October 28, 1763. 



Rachel, 



66 



Number of children seven. Capt. John Foote was a 
man of robust constitution, an incessant laborer and farmer 
through life. 



JOHN FOOTE, JuN., was married to Lois, daughter of 
Dea. Benjamin Mills, of that part of the ancient town of 
New Hartford, now forming part of the town of Canton. 
He settled, and remained through life, on the farm now 
owned and occupied by his son, Dea. Lancel Foote. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 



John Foote, 


Jun., 


1760, 


1803, 


42. 


Died suddenly. 


Lois Mills, 




1762, 


1803, 


39. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




An infant. 












Clara, 




1784, 


1789, 


6. 




Laura, 




1786, 


1855, 


69. 


Married Louis M. Norton, of 
Goshen. 


Miles, 




1788. 






Married Clarinda Barber. 


Lancel, 




1790. 






Married Laura Humphrey. 


Hershel, 




1793. 






Married Pamela B. Townsend, 
of Albany. 


Clara, 




1795, 


1837, 


42. 


Married Luke Barber. 


Stiles, 




1797, 


1798. 






Stella, 




1799, 


1889, 


40. 


Married Chester Wads worth, 
of Becket, Mass. 


John Stiles, 




1803. 






Married Margaret Todd, of 



Pennsylvania. 



ANCESTRY OF THE FRANCIS GARRETT FAMILY. 

SAMUEL TULLEE married Sarah, daughter of John 
Mills, about the year 1715; they had three sons, viz., Sam- 
uel, Joseph and Isaac, the latter born fatherless. The wid- 
ow afterward married Francis Garrett, a Frenchman, by 
whom she had five children. 



67 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Sarah, 


1723, 


1821, 


98, 


Susannah, 


1725, 


1805, 


80. 


John, 


1727. 






Francis, 


1729. 







Anna, 



1731. 



Married Oliver Humphrey. 
Married William Woodford. 

Married Ruth, daughter of 

Capt. James Case. 
Married Ist, James Northway; 

2d, John Phelps, 



The first Francis Garrett, died 1731, and his widow mar- 
ried Capt. Joseph Woodford, with whom she lived the 
remainder of his life. After his death in 1744, she spent the 
remainder of her days with Mr. William Woodford, son of 
Capt. Joseph Woodford, who married her daughter Susan- 
nah, in 1745. She lived until 1797, and died in her 101st 
year. Maj. John Garrett, her son, removed to Wyoming, 
in Pennsylvania, where he was killed in a battle with the 
Indians. His widow with other women and children, escap- 
ed the death by which the men had fallen, by fleeing (as 
they were instructed) to a raft that lay in the Susquehannah 
river, and floating down the stream, but their property was 
all destroyed that could be, by the Indians. 



FEANCIS GAKEETT, 2d, with his wife, Ruth Case, 
daughter of Capt. James Case, and sister of Capt. Josiah 
Case, settled in West Simsbury, in 1746, on lands at 
the confluence of the Albany and Litchfield turnpike, west 
of the William Stone buildings. He was a blacksmith by 
trade. He died of consumption. His widow was married 
to Gideon Case. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 


Francis Garret, 


1729. 




Ruth Case. 






Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 


Rufus, 1st, 


1754, 


1760, 6. 


Ruth, 


175G. 




Francis, 


1759. 





Married Uzziah Dyer. 



Rufus, 2d, 
Thias, 

James, 

Theodore, 
Ruth, 2d, 



68 



1762, 1831, 69. Married 1st, Chloe Hills; 2d, 
Mary Tuller; 3d, Charlotte 
Moses. 

1764, 1838, 74. Married Miriam Case, daugh- 
ter of Isaac Case; died 1847, 
aged 77. 

1767. Married Apphia Hill; died 

1839, aged 75. 

1769. 

1772. Married Thomas Dyer, Jun. 



Dr. ELISHA GEAHAM. He came from Wintonbury, 
now Bloomfield, with his wife, Anna Humphrey, daughter 
of Thomas Humphrey, 2d, to West Simsbury in the year 
1753, and settled on the farm now owned and occupied by 
Watson Case, 1st. There were six children in this family. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Elisha Graham, 


1734, 


1805, 


, 72. 




Anna Humphrey, 


1734, 


1793, 


. 59. 


Daughter of Thomas Hum- 
phrey, 2d. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Elisha, 


1753. 






Married Hannah Merritt. 


William, 


1756. 






Married Saphira Owen. 


Augustus. 










Freeman,* 


1762, 


1819, 


55. 


Married 1st, Lydia Phelps; 
2d, Lydia May. 


Infant, 


1766, 


1766. 






Anna, 


1769, 


1827, 


58. 


Married Ashbel Graham. 



ISAAC GEAHAM, a brother of Elisha settled on what 
is called the Cook farm, on Bald Hill, about the year 1752. 



•Freeman Graham occasioned his own death by stabbing himself with a butcher 
knife, August 1st, 1817, and died August 2d. 



69 



Parents. 

Isaac Graham, 
Sarah Moses. 

Children. 

Isaac, Jun. 

Sarah. 

George. 

Ardelice. 

Timothy, 1st, 

Lucy, 

Candace. 

Timothy, 2d. 

Annis, 



Born. Died. Age. 
1728, 1807, 79. 

Born. Died. Age. 



1768, 1775, 7. 



Married Thomas Caverlee. 

Married Seba Moses. 

Married Thomas Sanford, Jun. 

Married Ruth Wilcox. 
Married Elijah Arnold. 



DANIEL GKAHAM, a brotlier to Isaac and ElisLa, with 
his first wife, Zerviab Moses, came and settled on the place 
now (1855) owned by Chester Case, about the year 1756. 



Parents. 




Born. Died. 


Age. 


Daniel Graham, 




1736, 1827, 


91. 


1st wife, Zerviah 








Moses, 




1740, 1763, 


23. 


2d wife, Lois Phelps, 


1747, 1776, 


29. 


3d wife, Anna 


Rol 


)- 




erts. 




1748, 1821, 


78. 


Children. 




Born. Died. 


Age. 


Daniel, Jun., 




1759, 1808, 


49. 


Lois, 




1764. 




Israel, 




1767, 1813, 


46. 


Ashbel, 




1768, 1813, 


45. 


Jemmy, 








Zerviah, 




1775, 




Erastus, 




1844. 





Married. 

Married Michael Segar. 
Married Rosana Case. 
Married Anna Graham. 
Married Unice Gains. 
Married Amos Edgerton, 
Married Hilpah Roby. 



MOSES GAINES, with his wife Lucy, daughter of 
Thomas and Elizabeth Barber, commenced their family 
state about A. D. 1762. They resided on the farm now 



70 

owned by Henry Barber, till about A. D. 1775. Mr. John 
Barber, Jun., tlien became the owner of that farm, and Mr. 
Gaines rented the farm of Ephraim Buell's heirs, till 1784, 
when he went to the north part of New Hartford, on the 
east river, where he spent the remainder of his days. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Moses Gaines,* 


1731, 


1817. 


86. 




Lucy Barber, 


1742, 


1831, 


89. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Moses. Jun., 


1764, 






Married Hannah Miller. 


Lucy, 


1762, 


1849, 


87. 


Married Elijah Simons. 


Lois, 


1766, 






Married 1st, James Simons, 
2d, Loomis. 


Unice, 


1769. 






Married 1st, Jemmy Graham; 
2d, Daniel Pettibone. 


Elizabeth, 


1772. 






Married Levi Hart. 


Alpheus, 


1774, 


1845, 


71. 


Married Susan Miller. 


Enoch, 


1777. 






Married Anna Warner. 


Theresse, 


1779. 






Married Richard Case, 5th. 


Ruth, 


1781. 






Married Jehiel Wilcox. 



PHILIP HAEEIS, with his wife Ehoda, resided on the 
premises now owned by Lucian Bidwell, and was its first 
owner. They were the parents of the wife of Asher Hin- 
man, whose given name was Mary, and also the wife of the 
late Capt. Amaziah Humphrey, of Simsbury. Their farm 
became the property of Asher Hinman and wife and from 
them passed into the hands of Thomas Bidwell, Jun. 



JOHN HILL, Jun., son of John Hill, Sen., with his first 
wife, Isabel Alford, settled in 1740, in the East Hill school 
district. They resided on the farm now owned by Nelson 
Aldridge. They had by the first marriage one son and two 

* Of this family, Moses, Jun.. and his wife, also Eunice, Elizabeth and Enoch, 
are still living. 



71 

daughters; tlie daughters were married to two men by the 
name of Covey, of the religious order of the Seventh Day 
Baptists; they settled in Burlington. For second wife he 
married Isabel, a daughter of Thomas Eggleston. They 
had six more children. 



Parents. 


Born 


Died. 


Age. 




John Hill, Jiin., 


1725, 


, 1795^ 


, 70. 




1st wife, Isabel Alford. 






Daughter of Nathaniel 










ford, Sen. 


2d wife, Isabel 


Eg- 








gleston, 


1733, 


1818, 


85. 




Children by 1st wife. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




John, 3d, 








Married Mary Case. 


Daughter. 








Married Mr, Covey. 


Daughter. 








Married Mr. Covey. 


Children by 2d wife. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Jedadiah. 








Married Miss Kilby. 


Elijah. 








Married Esther TuUer. 


Chloe, 




1794. 




Married Rufus Garrett. 


Welthy, 


1767. 


1852, 


85. 


Married Jabez 0. Gleason, 


Keziah, 




1827, 


57. 


Married Thaddeus Tuller. 


Anna, 




1819. 




Married Nahum Barber. 



Al- 



DAEIUS HILL, son of John Hill, Sen., and half brother 
of John Hill, Jun. He married Lois, daughter of Benoni 
Moses, They resided on the East Hill, on the premises, 
which after his death were owned and occupied by the late 
Titus Case, deceased. They had four sons and three daugh- 
ters. The sons all died in early life; the three youngest, 
with one grandchild died in the beginning of the winter 
1798-9, together with the father, in the short time of little 
more than one month; all of dysentery. 



Parents. 

Darius Hill, 
Lois Moses, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1749, 1799, 50. 
1749. 



72 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Lois, about 


1770. 






Darius, 


Jun., 


1772, 


1788, 


16. 


Sarah. 










Arden, 




1776, 


1799, 


23. 


Rachel. 
Elias, 






1798. 




Asa, 






1798. 





Married Theodore Shelden. 

Died of Consumption, 
Married Frederick Sheldon. 
Died in the western army; 

drowned by failing through 

the ice. 



The mother and her three daughters, left the town near 
the beginning of the present century, and but little is now 
known respecting the family. 



ASHEJR HINMAN, with his wife Mary, daughter of 
Philip Harris, resided on the farm now owned by Lucian 
Bidwell, in the fore part of their family state till about the 
year 1786. They then removed to the west side of the river, 
where they lived the remainder of their lives. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Asher Hinmau, 


1741, 


1809, 


68. 




Mary Harris, 




1821. 






Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Kliza. 








Married Uriah Beach. 


Amasa, 


1768, 






Married Polly Hinman. 


Zerah, 


1771, 


1848, 


78. 


Married Anna Mills, daughter 
of Moses Mills. 


Rhoda. 








Married Moses Mills, Jun. 


Philip Harris. 










Cretia. 








Married Elias Mills. 


Arad. 








Married Polly Richards. 


Asher, 




1852. 




Married Eunice Alderman. 



73 

OLIVEE HUMPHREY, Esq., the first magistrate in 
West Simsbury, was son of Jonathan Humphrey, who was 
born in 1G88. Jonathan Humphrey was son of the first 
Samuel. Oliver Humphrey, Esq., was brother to Jonathan 
and Solomon. He removed to West Simsbury about 1742, 
and resided on the premises lately owned by William Stone, 
Esq., Suffrage Village. He had eleven children who lived 
to adult years, four sons and seven daughters, eight of 
whom connected in life and had children. The family were 
considered as conspicuous members in the community. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Oliver Humphrey, 


1720, 


17'J2, 


72. 




Sarah Garret, 


1723, 


1821, 


98. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. J 


4.ge. 




Sarah, 


1744, 


1795, 


59. 


Married 1st, Abraham Case, 
Jr. , Rev. Abraham Fowler. 


Lois, 


1746, 


1800, 


64. 


Married Bildad Barber. 


Ruth, 


1748, 


1822, 


74. 


Married Gideon Mills, Jr. 


Oliver. J tin., 


1750. 


1776, 


2G. 


Died in the army. 


Erastus, 


1752, 


1776, 


24. 


Died in the army. 


Reuben, 


1754, 


1830, 


76. 


Married Anna Humphrey. 


Rachel, 


1756, 


1831, 


7.5. 


Married George Humphrey. 


Asher, 


1758, 


1826, 


68. 


Married Chloe Humphrey. 


Mercy , 


1761, 


182G, 


65. 


Married Rev. Jeremiah Hal- 
lock. 


Esther, 


1763, 


1808, 


45. 


Married Eber Alford. 


Lavinia, 


1765, 


1848, 


83. 


Married Thomas Bidwell, Jun 



Maj. REUBEN HUMPHREY, third sou of Oliver Hum- 
phrey, Esq., married Anna, daughter of Capt. Ezekiel Hum- 
phrey. He resided on the premises and erected the dwell" 
ing-house at the junction of the roads west of the William 

Stone place. The house is now owned by . 

He was a man of fine native talents, and useful attain- 
ments, such as go to make up a useful citizen. He was 
10 



74 

early in life appointed to the office of justice of the peace, 
and also filled various posts of high responsibility and 
honor, both in his native, and adopted state. He sustained 
the rank of major in the militia, and was keeper of the 
Newgate prison for five years. He, in 1802, removed to 
Onondaga county in the State of New York, where he 
shared largely in the confidence of his fellow-citizens. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Reuben Humphrey, 1754, 1830, 76. 
Anna Humphrey, 1758, 1826, 68. 

Children. Born. Died. Age. 

Guy. 1807, 1807. 

Reuben, Jun. 

Gad. 



Capt. ASHER HUMPHREY, fourth son of Oliver Hum- 
phrey, Esq., married Chloe, daughter of Capt. Ezekiel Hum- 
phrey. He resided on the premises, and erected the dwell- 
ing-house now owned by Pomeroy Higley. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age. 


ABher Humphrey, 


1758, 1826, 68. 


Chloe Humphrey, 


17G2, 1813, 51. 


Children. 


Born. Died. Age- 


Oliver. 


Married Rhoda Woodford. 


Erastus. 


Married Anna London. 


Sophia. 


/ 


Julius. 




Norris. 




Mary. 




Emily. 




John. 




Ti-ueman, 





75 



SOLOMON HUMPHEET, Sen. He was brother of 
Jonathan and Oliver, and removed from the old parish to 
West Simsbury, about the year 1742. He settled on the 
premises now occupied by Everest Case and sons, and little 
to the south-east of the present house. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Solomon Humphrey, 


1722, 


1798, 


76. 


Naomi Higley, 


1726, 


1817, 


91. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Naomi, 


1749, 


1816, 


69. 


Solomon, 


1747, 


1751, 


4. 


Ruggles, 


1751, 


1802, 


51. 


Solomon, 


1752, 


1834, 


81. 



Esther, 
Augustus, 



1758, 1812, 
1771. 



52. 



Married Andrew Mills. 

Died in youth. 

Married Lucy Case. 

Father of Rev. Heman Hum- 
phrey, late president of 
Amherst College. Married 
Ist, Lucy Case, daughter of 
Ezekiel Case; 2d, Hannah 
Brown. 

Married daughter of Ephraim 
Barber; now living, 1856. 



THE ANCESTRY OF OLIVER AND SOLOMON HUMPHREY. 

MICHAEL HUMPHKEY,* of Windsor, was the ances- 
tor of the Humphreys in this region. He married Priscilla 
Grant, in the year 1647. Their children were John, born 
1650 ; Mary, born 1652; Samuel, born 1656 ; Martha, bom 
1663 ; Sarah, born 1658 ; Abigail, born 1665 ; Hannah, born 
1669. 



Lieut. SAMUEL HUMPHKEY, son of Michael and 
Priscilla Humphrey, was born 1656, and died 1736. Their 

* His descendants, are scattered through the Northern and Western States. 



76 

children were Samuel, Jonatlian, Charles, Noah, Marj, Eliz- 
abeth and Abigail. 

The first Jonathan Humphrey, son of Lieut. Samuel Hum- 
phrey, married Mercy Euggles, daughter of the Eev. Mr. 
Ruggles, of buffield. Their children were Jonathan, Mercy» 
married Dea. Michael Humphrey, Oliver, Solomon, Esther, 
who married John Owen, Apphia, married John Higley, and 
Rosanna, married John Foot. 



EUGGLES HUMPHEEY, son of Solomon Humphrey, 
Sen. He received his given name probably to honor and 
perpetuate the name of his grandmother, Mercy, the daugh- 
ter of the Eev. Mr. Euggles, of Suffield. He married Lucy 
the daughter of Amos Case, Sen. They had no children. 
He resided on the premises now owned by Eoswell Barnes, 
lying in the East Hill school-district. He gave part of the 
farm he left, to the Connecticut Missionary Society. He 
was born 1751; died 1802, aged 51. His wife Lucy, born 
1752, died 1837, aged 85. 



SOLOMON HUMPHREY, Jun., son of Solomon and 
Naomi Humphrey, married for his first wife, Lucy, daughter 
of Ezekiel and Lucy Case, A. D. 1772, and for his second 
wife Hannah, daughter of Capt. John and Mrs. Hannah 
Brow^n, married 1778. 

He resided the first twelve years of his family state with 
his father on the place now owned by Levi, 2d, and Orestus 
Case, in the East Hill school-district near the confines of 
Simsbury, until the year 1785. He then removed to Bur- 
lington, and there resided until 1813, and then removed to 
Barkhampstead where he resided the remainder of his life. 
He had two children by his first wife, and thirteen by his 
second. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Solomou Humphrey, 1752, 1834. 81. 
1st wife, Lucy Case, 1754, 1776, 22. 



77 



2(1 wife, Hann 


lah 


Brown, 


1758. 1825, 66. 


Children. 


Born. Died. Age, 


Horace, 


1772, 1855, 82. 


Solomon, Jun., 


1774, 1830, 56. 


Heman, 


1779. 


Lucy. 


1781, 1809, 28. 


Luther, 


1783, 


Infant, 


1784, 1784. 


Infant, 


1786, 1786. 


Infant, 


1787, 1788. 


Clarinda, 


1789. 


Infant, 


1791, 1791. 


Candace, 


1792. 


Naomi, 


1794. 


Hannah, 


1796, 


Electa, 


1799. 


Harriet, 


1802. 



Late president of Amherst 
College; married Sophia, 
daughter of Dea. Noah Por- 
ter, of Farmington. 

Jason Squires' 2d wife. 

Married 1st, Sarah H. Lawton; 
2d, widow Julia B. 
Treat. 



Married Harvey Webster. 



Married Henry Barber. 
Married Alson Barber. 
Married Sidney Hart. 



Capt. EZEKIEL HUMPHKEY, Sen., son of Samuel 
Humphrey, 2d. Capt. Ezekiel, was grandson of the first 
Samuel Humphrey in the line of Samuel Humphrey. He 
removed from the old parish to West Simsbury in 1743, 
and settled on the parsonage lot now owned by Dr. B. A. 
Kasson. He had ten children, five sons and five daughters, 
all of whom married and had children, except Lydia. 



Parents. 



Boru. Died. Age. 



Ezekiel Humphrey, 1720, 1795, 75. 
Elizabeth Pettibone, 1724, 1792, 68. 



Ezekiel, 
Elijah, 



Children. Born, Died. Age. 

1746, 180^, 56. Married 



- Scott. 
1748, 1788, 40. Married Chloe Wilcox. 



78 



Elizabeth, 


1750, 


1808, 


58. 


Married 1st Daniel Case, Jun. ; 
2d, Elisha Case. 


Frederick, 


1753, 


1821, 


68. 


Married Ruth Teller. 


George, 


1756, 


1813, 


57. 


Married 1st, Elizabetli Petti- 
bone; 2d. Rachel Hnin- 
phrey. 


Anna, 


1758, 


1826, 


68. 


Married Reuben Humphrey. 


Griles, 


1760, 


1816, 


56. 


Married Elizabeth, daughter 
of Dea, Abraham Case. 


Chloe, 


1762, 


1813, 


51. 


Married Asher Humphrey. 


Betsy, 


1767. 






Married Sylvanus Humphrey, 


Lj'dia, 


1769. 






Married 1st. Alexander Petti- 
bone; 2d, Samuel Web- 
ster. 



Capt. EZEKIEL HUMPHREY, Jun., wi% his wife, 
Scott, settled in family state about . He was 



a sea-captain, and of course was absent from liis native 
town a great part of the prime of life. They had two sons 
and one daughter. He died in 1802, aged 56. 



Capt. ELIJAH HUMPHREY, son of Capt. Ezekiel 
Humphrey, Sen., and Brother to Capt. Ezekiel Humphrey, 
Jun. He was also a sea-captain. He married Chloe, 
daughter of Ephraim Wilcox. They had one son Allen, 

who in removed from this town; one daughter, Chloe, 

died of scarlet fever in 1793, aged eleven years, and one 
son died in 1778, aged five years, and a double monument 
was erected to their memory in the South burying-ground, 
by their older brother Allen at the age of twenty-four years. 
The father was lost at sea in the year 1788, aged forty-two. 
The widow afterward married James Olcott. 



79 

Capt. FEEDEKICK HUMPHREY, sou of Capt. Eze- 
kiel Humphrey and of the fourtii degree in descent from the 
first Michael Humphrey, of Windsor. He married Ruth 
TuUer, daughter of Ensign Isaac TuUer. He resided in the 
early part of his family state, in the north-west part of 
Avon, then called Whortlebury Hill, until 1789, when he 
built the most ancient house now standing in Collinsville, 
where he resided the remainder of his life. For many of 
the last years of his life, he was the owner of about four- 
fifths of the land on both sides of the river where the village 
of Collinsville is now situated. 

He was a man of stately and robust frame, with strength 
and resolution in proportion to it. In the year 1792, he, in 
company with his brother. Col. George Humphrey, erected 
a forge for the manufacture of iron. It was situated on the 
then east branch of the river, at or very near the site of the 
old stone shop that has a steeple and belL It was so much 
damaged by the Jefferson flood, so called, in 1801, that it 
went into decay from about that time, and was swept off 
by the great flood of 1804. A grist-mill and saw-mill were 
afterward erected there, but were both removed in 1827, or 
soon after, to make room for the manufacturing establish- 
ment of the Collins Co. 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Frederick Humphrey, 1753, 1831, 68. 
Ruth Teller, 1755, 1818, 63. 



Children. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 


Frederick, 


Jun. . 


1775, 1830, 


55. 


Isaac, 




1777, 1856, 


79. 


Alexander, 




1778, 1850, 


72. 


Ruth, 




1783. 




Rufiis, 




1785. 




Sylvester, 




1786. 




Zada, 




1790, 1818, 


28. 


Romanta, 




1788. 




Fanny, 




1793. 




Correl, 




1795, 1835, 


40. 



Married Alia Dyer. 
Married Miss Boughton. 
Married Roxy R. Brown; 

died 1855. 
Married Luke Hayden. 
Married Lucinda Woodford. 
Married Phebe Bidwell. 
Elias Woodford's first wife. 
Married Huldah Woodford. 
Elias Woodford's second wife. 
Married Almira Humphrey, 



80 



Col. GEOKGE HUMPHEEY, a son of Capt. Ezekiel 
and Elizabeth Humphrey. His ancestry, from the first 
settlers in Windsor, was as follows, viz.: first Michael, sec- 
ond Samuel 1st, third Samuel 2d, fourth Ezekiel 1st. He 
was a prominent and worthy citizen in the various depart- 
ments of public and private life. He bore a part in the 
Revolutionary war in early life. He possessed to a good 
degree the confidence of his fellow-citizens. He honorably 
filled various offices in the military department in the prime 
of life. At the time of his decease he was in the capacity 
of justice of the peace, judge of probate, and member of the 
state legislature. He resided on the parsonage farm left 
by his father. He was connected with his brother Fred- 
erick, in the building and ownership of the forge which 
was built in 1792. 

He married for his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Capt. 
Abraham Pettibone, and granddaughter of Samuel Petti- 
bone, Jun. For his second wife, he married Eachel, daugh- 
ter of Oliver Humphrey, Esq. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


George Humphrey, 


1756, 


1813, 


57. 


Elizabeth Pettibone, 


1756. 


1784, 


28. 


Rachel Humphrey, 


1756, 


1831, 


. 75, 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. . 


Age. 


Clarissa 


1778, 


1779, 


1. 


Clarissa, 


1780. 






George, Jun., 


1782, 


1836, 


54. 


Jerusha, 


1783, 


1784, 


1. 


Elizabeth, 


1785. 






Cornelia, 


1787. 






Decius, 


1789. 






Stelly, 


1790, 


1846, 


5b. 


Emily, 


1792. 






i.aura. 


1795. 






Hector, 


1797. 







Married Elisha Dyer. 
Married 1st, Candace 
2d, Lois Woodford. 



Case; 



Married 1st, Dudley Hum- 
phrey. 

Married Abraham Griswold. 

Married Laura Adams. 

Married 1st, Lester Cone. 

Married Ralph Meecham. 

Married Lancel Foote. 

President of the college at 
Annapolis, Maryland. 



81 

SAMUEL HUMPHEEY, the third of the name of Sam- 
uel. He married Mary Wilcox, in 1734, a twin to Nathan- 
iel Wilcox. He removed from the Old Parish to West 
Simsbury abont the year 1741. He was born in 1710; sup- 
posed to have died about 17G0; aged about fifty years. 
Mary his wife, was born 1719; died 175G, aged 37. He re- 
sided on or near the site now occupied by Pomeroy Higley. 
They had six children, three sons, and three daughters, who 
all lived to connect in life, and have children; whether any 
died in early life is not known. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Samuel, 


1734, 


1804, 


70. 


Married Prudence Mills. 


Azubab, 


1737, 


1816, 


79. 


Married Thomas Dyer. 


Haunab, 


1740, 


1821, 


81. 


Married Benjamin Mills. 


William, 


1742, 


1773, 


31. 


Married Hepzibah Merrell. 


Theophilus, 


1744, 


1826, 


82. 


Married Hepzibah Cornish. 


Mary, 


1746, 


1830, 


84. 


Married Daniel Morgan, 
grandfather of the present 
Daniel Morgan. 



WILLIAM HUMPHEEY, the second son of Samuel 
Humphrey, 8d, married Hepzibah Merrell, A. D., 1762. 
They resided in that part of New Hartford that is now Can- 
ton, on the place now occupied by John and Mark Pike. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


William Humphrey, 
Hepzibah Merrell, 




1817. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


William, Jan., 
Roswell, 


17G3. 
176.5. 






Siisannah, 
Arnold P., 


17G8. 
1770, 


1851, 


80. 



Married 1762. 

Married 2d, Sylvanus Case. 



Married Elizabeth Roberts. 
Married Betsey or Elizabeth 

Seymour. 
Married George Wilcox. 
Married 1st, Amelia Spencer; 

2d, Rosauna Mills. 



11 



82 

SAMUEL HUMPHREY, commonly called Master Sam, 
the fourth of the name and fifth dei^jree (inclusive) from the 
first Michael. He married Prudence, daughter of John 
Mills, about A. T>. 1759. He resided on the place, and in 
the house now occupied by his youngest sou, Eber. He 
was lame, taught school, and wrote much. 



Parents. 

Samuel Humphrey, 
Prudence Mills, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1734, 180i, 70. 
1734, 1805, 71. 



Sou of Samuel Humphrey, 3d. 



Children. Born. Died. Age. 

Samuel, Jun., the fifth, 



Phebe, 

Lemuel G. Grordon. 

Rosetta. 

Dorthy or Dolly. 

Ichabod. 

Mary. 

Eber. 



1763, 1848, 85. 



1776. 



Married Zerviah Wilcox. 
Married Abisha Forbes . 
Married Dorcas Case. 
Married John Mark. 
Married David Cooper. 
Married Esther Olmsted. 
Married Oliver Brewster, 

State of New York. 
Married 1st, Lydia Dill; 2d, 

Ruth Rising. 



JONATHAN HUMPHEEY, a descendant of the first 
Jonathan Humphrey, of Simsbury. He resided in the East 
Hill, school-district, on land situated between the school- 
house, and the farm belonging to Calvin Case, Jun. It fell 
to the late Cyrus Humphrey. He had seven children four 
by his first wife, and three by his second wife, who died in 
1794. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Jonathan Humphrey. 1796. 



Children by 1st wife. 


Born. Died. Age. 






Lucina. 








Cyrus, 


1822. 


Married Amy 
Waterbury . 


Baldwin, 


Aurelia. 








Amoret. 




Died unmarried. 





of 



83 



Children by 2d wife. Born. Died. Age. 
Jonathan, Jun., 1830. 

Ruth, 

Alma. 



Married widow of Jonathan 
Andruss, Jr. 
1789, 1829, 40. First wife of Plinny Gris- 
wold. 
Married Barzilla Roberts. 



Lieut. CHAELES HUMPHKEY, 2d, a son of Charles 
HumiDhrey, with his wife Sarah, daughter of Benajah Hum- 
phrey, settled in West Simsbury, about the year 1753. 
Their jfirst buildings were erected on the eastendof the farm. 
He afterward built and lived on the western part of his farm 
at the site now occupied by his grandson, Charles Humphrey 
and Bera Case. The young man now living on the East 
Hill and on the old site, bearing the name of Charles, is of 
the fifth generation from the first Charles; the name of 
Charles, being used five generations in succession. 

The wife of Lieut. Charles had four husbands: 1st, Charles 
Humphrey, 2d, Seth Smith, 3d Elisha Graham, 4th Amasa 
Case. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 




Charles Humphrey, 


173i, 1779, 


45. 




Sarah Humphrey, 


1736. 1823, 


87. 




Children- 


Born. Died, 


Age- 




Charles, Jun., 


1754, 1805, 


51. 


Married Hannah Case. 


Mary, 


1756. 




Married Phineas Noble 


Benajah, 


1759, 1803, 


44. 


Married Thede Case. 



CHAELES HUMPHREY, 3d, a son of Lieut. Charles 
Humphrey, and great grandson of Lieut. Samuel Humph- 
rey. He resided on the East Hill by his father, Charles 
Humphrey, 2d. 



Parents. 

Charles Humphrey, 
Hannah Case, 



Children. 

Mary, or Polly, 
Charles, 4th, 

Rachel, 



84 

Born. Died. Age. 

1754, 1805, 51. 
1754, 1808, 54. 



Born. Died. Age. 

1782, 1822, 40. 
1785. 



1790. 



Daughter of Dea. Abraham 
Case. 



Married Ira Case. 

Married Laura Case; died 

1842, aged 54. 
Married Abel Case, 2d. 



Dea. THEOPHILUS HUMPHKET, son of Samuel 
Humphrey, 3d. He with his wife, removed to West Sims- 
bury about the year 1764, and settled at the south-east part 
of the town. He afterward lived in the Old Parish a few 
years, and in 1782, he again removed to West Simsbury, 
and settled on the premises now owned by his grandson, 
Loin H. Humphrey, in the Center district. 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Theophilus Humph- 
rey, 1744, 1826, 82. 

1st wife, Hepzibah, 
Cornish, 1742, 1800, 58. 

2d wife, Diana Averit, 1752, 1843, 91. 



Daughter of Elisha Cornish. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




James, 




1765, 


1830, 


65. 


Married 1st, Keturah Case; 
2d, Diadama Garret. 


Hepzibah, 
Alvin, 




1767, 
1769, 


1847, 


77. 


Married Jesse Barber. 
Married 1st, Almira Case; 


Child. 
Amelia, 




1774, 


1808, 


34. 


2d, Mary Hays. 
Died in infancy . 
Married Jonathan Barber, 2d. 


Theophilus, 


Jun., 


1776, 


1851, 


75. 


Married 1st, Cynthia Hay- 
den; 2d Miss Cornish. 


Loin, 




1777, 


1854, 


77. 


Married Rhoda Case. 


Plinny, 




1780, 


1852, 


72. 


Married Rhoda Higley, daugh- 
ter of Seth Higley. 



Thede, 

Dudley, 

Keziah, 



85 



1783. Married Thomas Sugden, 

Juu. 

1784, 1826, 42. Married Elizabeth Humph- 

rey. 
1786, 1818, 32. Married Stephen H. At- 
water. 



Kev. JEREMIAH HALLOCK was born at Brookliaven, 
Long Island, 1758. At the age of eight years, he with his 
parents removed to Goshen, Mass. Mr. Hallock was licensed 
to preach the gospel in 1784, and was ordained over the 
church and sosiety of West Simsbury, (now Canton,) in 

1785. He was honored for his faithful and unwearied efforts 
in the service of his divine Lord and Master; during the 
entire term of his ministry, extending over a period of forty 
years, and terminating with his life, he exerted a rare in- 
fluence, not only over the people of his charge, but through- 
out an extensive circle of acquaintance. His memory is yet 
venerated. He died June, 1826, aged 68. He married 
Mercy Humphrey, daughter of Oliver Humphrey, Esq., in 

1786, She was born in 1762; died 1826, aged 64 years. 
Their first son, Jeremiah Humphrey Hallock, was born 

1790; graduated at Williams College, Mass., 1809, and 
entered the profession of law. He was long the presiding 
judge in the Ohio Circuit Court, and died at Steubenville, 
Ohio, 1848, at the age of 58. 

The second son, William Homan Hallock, was born 1795; 
yet survives, and owns and occupies the place occupied by 
his father, excepting the dwelling-house, which is now 
owned and occupied by Mr. Hallock's successor in the 
ministry. Rev. Jairus Burt. 

Daughter Sarah was born 1799: died. 1813, aged 14 years. 



■ 86 
ITEMS OF HISTORY OF THE HIGLEY FAMILY, AND RACE 
OF DESCENDANTS. 



JOHN HIGLEY, Esq., was among the early settlers in 
Windsor, and among the early settlers in Simsbury. The 
place where he and his numerous descendants lived in Sims- 
bury, was north-west from Tariffville. It was formerly called 
Higley town, after the name of its inhabitants. He married 
Hannah, daughter of John and Hannah Drake, and grand- 
daughter of Dea. John and Hannah Moore, married, A. D. 
1671. He was honored with many of the highest offices in 
the gift of his fellow-citizens, being the first appointed jus- 
tice of the peace, and soon after, judge of the county court. 
He represented the town at the General Assembly, for many 
sessions, subsequent to the year 1698. He was the first 
military captain, being chosen in 1698, an office at that time 
of great dignity. His children were John Jun., or 2d, born 
1673; Jonathan, born 1675; Hannah, born 1677; Eebecca, 
born 1679; Brewster, born 1681. Of these, Hannah, the 
oldest daughter, married Joseph Trumbull, in 1704, and be- 
came the mother of the first Governor Jonathan Trumbull, 
and his honorable descendants, who for many years held a 
high rank among Connecticut worthies. 

Brewster, the third son, was married A. T). 1708, to Esther, 
(or Hester,) daughter of Nathaniel Holcomb, and grand- 
daughter of the first Thomas Holcomb. Their children were 
Brewster, Jun,, born 1711; Joseph, born 1713; David, born 
1715; Hannah, born 1717; Hester, born 1719; John, (the 
third of the name,) born 1721; Elizabeth, born 1723; Naomi, 
born 1725. These eight persons, who are all that are known 
of as belonging to this family, lived to great age; their sev- 
eral ages when added together make the round number of 
646 years, which divided by eight, makes the average lon- 
gevity to be about eighty years and nine months. There 
are now living in Canton several families, who, through the 
female line are descendants of this ancient Higley family. 
Hannah, the oldest daughter, became the wife of Elijah 
Owen, the first, about the year 173 i. She had by him. Re- 



87 

becca, who married Benedict Alford, and removed to Ver- 
mont. She lived to the age of 95 years. One child died in 
infancy; Elijah Jun., or 2d, who died at Otis, in 1814, aged 
76; Hannah, was the wife of Capt. Jolm Brown, and the 
mother of the Brown family in Canton, and died there in the 
year 1831, aged 91 years. The aforementioned Hannah 
Higley, widow of Elijah Owen, for a second mariage, mar- 
ried Peletiah Mills, Esq., in the year 1748. Their children 
were Peletiah, Samuel, Koger, Martha, Eli, Frederick, Su- 
sanna and Elihu, the father of the Mills in the town of 
Bloomfield. Martha married a Barnard; Susanna married 
a Hubbard; Hester married Capt. Josiah Case, and was the 
mother of the late Capt. Fithen Case, and that connection; 
Elizabeth married Kev. Gideon Mills, minister of "West Sims- 
bury; Naomi married Solomon Humphrey, Sen., or 1st, and 
wa3 the mother of Solomon Humphrey, Jun., or 2d, and that 
connection. Brewster, Jun., the oldest son, was the father of 
the wife of Abel Case, Sen., and that connection, also grand 
parent of the wife of the late Plinny Humphrey, and the 
mother of Norman Case. John, the fourth son of Brewster, 
Sen., and the third of the name of John, married Apphia, 
daughter of Jonathan Humphrey, the firsts and great grand- 
daughter of the first Michael Humphrey. He resided a part 
of his family state in Canton, though mostly in Old Simsbury. 
His sons were John, Carmi, Obed, Isaac, Eber, Roger, and 
Job. His daughters were the wife of Dea. Jared Mills, and 
the wife of Job Mills. John, Jun., or John the 4th, resided in 
the north-west part of the Farms school-district, in Canton, 
on land now owned by the heirs of the late Asaph Tuller, 
Esq. Among his children were the wife of Abraham Bar- 
ber, Jun., John, Timothy and Dan. The father died May, 
1802. The family are now extinct in Canton. Carmi, 
another son of John Higley, 3d, married Hestor, widow of 
Thomas Case, 2d, and daughter of Capt. Josiah Case. He 
was in the American army in the autumn of 177G; was 
taken a prisoner by the British, and with many others, con- 
fined in one of the New York churches, then made a prison 
of, for the purpose of starving soldiers to death, where he 



88 



died uuder Britisli cruelty. He left an infant son of his own 
name; that son was lost at sea when a man, some forty 
years of age or more. Obed Higley, son of John Higley, of 
the fourth degree inclusive from the first John Higley, 
married Miss Rebecca Mills. He resided most of his fam- 
ily state upon the premises now owned by his sou, Alson 
Higley. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age. 




Obed Higley, 


1757, 1841, 84. 




Rebecca Mills, 


1766, 1827, 61. 




Children, Born. 


Died. Age 




Sally, 


Sept. 30, 1789, 


1815, 26, 


, Married Allen Case. 


Thede, 


April 19, 1790, 


1853, 63. 


Married Benjamin Goff . 


Obed, 


Jan. 5, 1791. 




Married Mary Dickinson. 


Alson, 


Feb. 20, 1793. 




Married Christian Bobbins. 


Luther, 


Nov. 9, 1794. 




Married 1st, Electa Wood- 
ford; 2d, Flora Bidwell; 3d, 
Sarah F. Bidwell. 


Correl, 


Feb. 12, 1796. 




Married Nancy Phelps. 


Pomeroy, 


Nov. 10, 1798. 




Married Eunice D. Humph- 
rey. 


Amelia, 


Oct. 7, 1801. 




Married Austin N. Humph- 
rey, 


Almenia, 


April 1, 1805. 




Married Leonard S. Sweett. 


Emeline, 


Nov. 4, 1808. 




Married 1st, Luke TuUer; 
2d, Z. Kempton. 



NATHANIEL JOHNSON, married Tryphene, daugh- 
ter of Samuel Barber. He was a joiner by occupation, both 
for building and shop work; was called an ingenious and 
faithful workman. His last family residence was on land 
about one-fourth of a mile north of Gen. E. Hosford's. He 
had been at work on the house of Mr. Jesse Case, Sen., now 
the residence of Samuel S. Case. He went into the well to 
clean the bottom of it, and lost his life by the damps or 



89 

poisonous air; those "wlio drew his lifeless body from the 
well, did it with great difficulty, and at the risk of losing 
their own lives. This event happened September 6th, 1783. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age, 




Nathaniel Johnson, 


1753, 1783, 80. 




Tryphene Barber, 


1755. 




Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 




Chloe, 


1777. 


Married Charles Adams. 


Samuel, 


1779. 


Married Elizabeth Steele. 


Olive, 


1781. 


Married Med ad W. Merrell 


Infant, 


1783, 1783. 





JAMES KIRKLAND, with Penelope his wife, resided 
on a patch of ground on the west side of the road, between 
Amos L. Spencer and Philetus Case. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. 


Age, 




James Kirkland, 


173G, 1815, 


79. 




Penelope , 


1829. 






Children. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 




James, Jun., 


1804. 






Cyntha, 


1776, 1804, 


28. 


Married J 


Caleb. 








Jacob. 








Thomas, 


1782, 1789. 


7. 




Esther, 






Married G 



SAMUEL LEETE, was a native of Guilford, a descend- 
ant of Gov. William Leete, he married Miss Kelley, of 
Guilford. They had four children born in Guilford; their 
names were Jane, who subsequently became the wife of Silas 
Case, of Canton; she died A. D. 1777 leaving an infant son, 
12 



90 

Kelley, who is yet living; Samuel, Jun.,born 1766, who mar- 
ried Sarah Case; Amos, born 1769, married Cosmilly Mills; 
Lucy^, an idiot, who died 1793. Mr. Leete, for second 
Wife, married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Barber. He 
removed to Canton and resided on the farm previously owned 
by Dudley Case, Juu. His house stood on the west side of 
the road nearly opposite the cooper shop of N. E. L. Bristol, 
Esq. He died in 1799. Elizabeth, his second wife, died 
1825, aged 85. 



JONATHAN LATIMER. He settled in the North-east 
school-district, near Grauby line, about the year 1760, on the 
farm of his late and only son, Jonathan Latimer, late 
deceased. He had a number of daughters who settled in 
family state; among them were the first wife of Mr. John 
Edgerton, who died in the year 1792. 

Jonathan Latimer, Sen., died in 1826, aged 91. l^lrs. 
Eachel, his wife, died in 1817, aged 74. 

The time of the death of Jonathan Latimer, Jun., or his 
wife, is not known. 



GILES LATIMER, Sen. He settled about 1763, on 
the farm adjoining to Philetus Case, in the North-east dis- 
trict. He hada number of sons, viz., Giles, Jun., George, 
Roswell, Garner and James, and a number of daughters. 

Mr. Giles Latimer, Sen., died in 1829. His first wife had 
died in 1808, aged 59. Plis son, Roswell Latimer, died in 
1830, aged 52. 



ASA MATSON, Sen. He settled on the place now 
owned principally by his grandson, Salmon Matson, in 
the North-east district. His sons were Asa, Jun., William 



91 

and Joshua; likewise daughters; among them the wife of 
Elijah Messenger, and the wife of Ezra Paine. The history 
of this family is but imperfectly known. 



HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MILLS FAMILY. 

In giving some historical sketches of the Mills genealogy 
herewith appended, it may be proper to state that from com- 
mon report and investigations carefully made, there were two 
distinct families of that name who settled in New England, 
one of English and the other of Dutch descent. Of the 
latter may be named Eev. Gideon Mills and Rev. Zede- 
kiah Mills, nephews, Rev. Samuel J. Mills and the Rev. 
Edmund Mills. Of the English descent, tradition says they 
came from Yorkshire, England. Simon Mills' name first 
occurs. This Simon Mills married Mary Buel, February 
23d, 1649, twenty-nine years after the first settlement of 
Plymouth. He resided in Windsor previous to 1669, and 
removed to and settled at Weatauge, East Simsbury. 
Whether he was a native of New England or not can not 
be ascertained; one inference is certain, his father was a 
native of England. This Simon had eleven children, five 
sons and six daughters; two sons supposed to have died in 
infancy or in youth. 



Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Mary, 


Dec. 8, 1662. 


Hannah, 


1665. 


Simon, 


May, 1667. 


John, 


Jan. 1668. 


Sarah, 


Sept. '1670. 


Abigail, 


1672. 


Elizabeth, 


1674. 


Prudence, 


1676. 


Simon, 2d, 


1678. 



92 



JOHN MILLS, son of the last named Simon, was the 
immediate ancestor of Joseph Mills who settled in West 
Simsbury. This John Mills married Sarah Pettibone; 
report says the first ancestor of the Pettibones came from 
England during Cromwell's wars. 

This John Mills had four children, viz., John, Benjamin, 
Joseph and Sarah. Benjamin and Joseph were twin broth- 
ers; Sarah had three husbands, Samuel Tuller, Francis 
Garrett, Joseph Woodford, whom she survived; children 
only by the two first. 

Mrs. Woodford died in 1797, aged 100 years; her chil- 
dren were noted for their longevity. John Mills the imme- 
diate ancestor of the family, died in early life. His sur- 
viving widow married Dea. John Humphrey, by whom she 
had several children, among whom may be named John, 
Hannah, Benajah, Michael, and Bev. Daniel Humphrey, 
father of the celebrated Gen. David Humphrey. Joseph 
Mills, whose record is given, (and grandfather of the com- 
piler* of these historical notes of the family,) was a native of 
Simsbury, born 1694, and died April 19th, 1783, aged 89 
years. At the age of thirty years he married Hannah 
Adams, aged fifteen years, who was born 1709. She died 
September 1776, aged 67. They had fourteen children, ten 
sons and four daughters, all of whom he lived to see mar- 
ried and have children. He removed from Meadow Plain, 
Old Parish, to West Simsbury, in 1742 or 1743. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Joseph, 


1726, 


1795, 


65. 


Had four wives, Lois Case, 














Lewis. 


Michael, 


1728, 


1819, 


91. 


Married Mercy Lawrence, 


Hannah, 


1731, 


1796, 


65. 


Married Ebenezer Fields. 


Samuel, 


1734, 


1803, 


G9. 


Married Cowles. 


Amasa, 


1736, 


1821, 


85. 


Married Lucy Curtis. 


Benjamin, 


1738, 


1829, 


91. 


Married Hannah Humphrey. 


Ezekiel, 


1740, 


1805, 


65. 


Married Ursula Phelps. 


Daniel, 


1742, 


1779, 


37. 




Simeon, 


1744, 


1778, 


34. 








•E. 


Mills, 


Esq. 



93 



Andrew, 
Sarah, 



1746, 1813, 67. 
1748, 1805, 57. 



Married Naomi Humphrey. 



Married Joseph 

Asa Foote. 
Married Charles Wilcox 
Married Rosanna Foote 
Married James Andrus. 



Cowles and 



Thankful, 1750, 1776, 26. 

Ephraim, 1751, 1818, 67. 

Ruth, 1753, 1789, 36. 

Average longevity sistj'-one and four-fourteenths years. 

Without ostentation it may be stated that of the ten sons 
of which the family were composed, one was colonel of mili- 
tia, three were captains of military companies, and five were 
deacons of Congregational churches. 



EPHRAIM MILLS, son of Dea. Joseph Mills, and tenth 
son of the family, was born April 19th, 1751. He had two 
wives; first wife, Rosanna Foot, daughter of Capt. John 
Foot; second wife, widow Bethia Johnson, who survived 
him. He had ten children, seven sons and three daughters. 
He had children only by his first wife. 

He resided on the premises now occupied (1855) by Free- 
man Case. 



Parents. 

EiDhraim Mills, 

1st -^vife, Rosanna 

Foot, 
2d wife, Bethia John- 



Born. Died. Age. 
1751, 1818, 67. 

1754, 1814, 62. 



Children. 




Born. 


Died. 


Age. 






Child. 
Rosanna, 


Sept 


17, 


1780. 






Died in infancy. 

Married Arnold P. Humph- 


Ephraim, 

Phebe, 
Simeon, 


Oct. 19, 
March 28 


1782. 

, 1784. 
1786. 






rey. 
Married 1st, Sarah Case, 

widow of Orange Case; 

2d, Emma Tuller. 
Married Stephen Da\is. 
Died at the age of 10 months. 



94 



Simeon, 



Sept. 22, 1787. 



Andrew, April, 1789. 

Ruth, Nov. 9, 1792. 

Andrew, 1793. 

Norman, Aug. 2, 1795. 



Married Anna D. Angi- 

lis, Abi Buel, Clarinda 

Humphrey. 
Died October 14th, 1792, 

aged 2 years and 6 months. 
Married Chauncey G. Gris- 

wold. 
Died January 11th, 1804, 

aged 9 years. 
Married l&t, Sophia Andrus; 

2d Melinda . 



EPHRAIM MILLS, son of the preceding Ephraim, was 
born October 19tli, 1782; he had two wives. Married Jan- 
uary 10th, 1816, Sarah Case, whose maiden name was 
Jones, widow of Orange Case, who was accidentally killed 
by the falling of a tree, March 17th, 1814. She was born 
December 1st, 1783, and died June 4th, 1837, leaving one 
son, Addison O. Mills, who was born July 14th, 1817. 

His second wife was Emma Tuller, daughter of Rufus 
Tuller. She was born September 28th, 1798. They were 
married February 28th, 1838. One child, Caroline Emma 
Mills, was born May 14th, 1840. 

Addison O. Mills, above named, married October 17th, 
1839. Jane Maria Case, who was born August 7th, 1823, 
daughter of Capt. Nodiah Case, by whom he has had three 
children, viz., Sarah Jane, born December llth^ 1844; Ad- 
dison Nodiah, born March 20th, 1850, and died February 
5th, 1853; Ephraim Wilbur, born April 18th, 1854, 

Ephraim Mills, now (April, 1855) resides on the premises 
previously occupied by Zacheus Case, Stephen Harris, and 
Jacob and Joseph Foote. 

Tradition says that Simom Mills, son of the first Simon 
named in these sketches, when a man, and when the 
country was infested by lurking and hostile Indians, went 



95 



into the field to plow, accompanied by two large dogs. 
An Indian lay in ambush through the day to kill him and 
take his scalp. Uncle Simon was closely followed by his 
faithful dogs. The Indian was afraid that unless he killed 
him outright, uncle Simon would set his dogs upon him, and 
he would immediately be torn to pieces, which circumstance 
was the cause of saving Uncle Simon's life. This Indian 
was afterward taken for murder and executed. At the time 
of his execution, he disclosed the facts here narrated. 



EZEKIEL MILLS, the sixth son of Dea. Joseph Mills, 
married Ursula Phelps, a native of Hebron, about the year 
1762. They resided most of their family state, on the pre- 
mises now owned by Robert Wilcox, until 1794, when he 
removed to Becket, Mass. They subsequently removed to 
the State of Ohio where they both died. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Ezekiel Mills, 


1740, 


180.^, 


65. 




Ursula Phelps, 




1818. 






Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Ursula Ciorus, 


1763. 






Married 1st, Daniel Hitch- 
cock; 2d, Ambrose Cow- 


Climena, 


1766. 






dry. 
Married Robert Wilcox. 


Ezekiel Rodolphus, 
Thomas Delaun, 


1768. 
1770. 






Married Orpha Holcomb. 

Married Lattimer, 

daughter of Jonathan Lat- 
timer. 


Asahel, 


1774. 








Oliver. 


1777. 








Olive, 


1779, 


1800, 


, 21. 




Isaac, 


1781. 








Roswell, 


1783. 









96 

Dea. ANDKEW mills was the nintli son of Dea. Jo- 
seph Mills, born A. D. 1746. He, with his wife Naomi, 
daughter of Solomon Humphrey, 1st, connected in marriage, 
about 1771, he resided ou the premises now owned by Wil- 
liam H. Hallock, Esq. His house was on the site of the 
house now owned by Rev. Jairus Burt. He removed to 
Middlebury, State of Vermont, in 1787; was reputed an 
eminently pious and useful man. In the year 1813, he came 
on a visit to his native town; was taken sick with typhus 
fever, and died in the house on the site of the one where he 
was born aged o7 years. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Andrew Mills, 




Naomi Humphrey, 


1749, 1816, 67. 


Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Ralph, 


1772. 


Zenas, 


1774. 


Louisa, 


1776. 



Capt. MICHAEL MILLS. He was the second son of 
Dea. Joseph Mills, he commenced his first farming opera- 
tions on the premises now owned by Dea. Lancel Foot. 
He built his house at the extreme west end of the farm, on 
the line between him and the heirs of the then late Ephraim 
Buel, deceased; his house stood some fifty or sixty rods east 
of the old Cherries Brook road, and north-east of the saw- 
mill of Humphrey & Brown, in the north part of the Center 
school-district, there was no open road leading to his house. 
The old cellar and well are still to be seen. He removed to 
Norfolk about the year 1772, where his two last sons were 
born. The farm was sold to Capt. Foot. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Michael Mills, 1738 . 

Mercy Lawrence. 







97 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 


Michael, Jun. 


1755. 




Mercy, 


1758. 




Ira, 


1761. 




Eden, 


1763. 




Lawrence, 






Loditha. 






Percy. 






Augustus, 


1772. 




Michael Frederick, 


1774. 





Dea. benjamin mills, the fifth son of Dea. Joseph 
Mills, Sen. He married Hannah, a daughter of Samuel 
Humphrey, the third, the first Samuel Humphrey, of West 
Simsbury. He resided most of his family state on the 
premises now owned by Alanson Merrills and Harvey Mills , 
in the West Hill district. He was a captain during most 
of the campaigns during the Kevolutionary war, but never 
received anything for his time and suffering in the American 
cause. 

He was a man of Christian integrity toward God and his 
fellow-citizens. His prayers and his pious example will 
operate long after he is sleeping in the dust, and although 
he possessed but little of this world's treasure, yet he kept 
the world indebted to him while he lived in it. The last 
years of his life he became quite deaf, and his tottering form 
was permitted to ascend the pulpit, always standing in 
prayer by the side of the venerable Hallock. 

Parents. Bom. Died. Age. 

Benjamin Mills, 1738, 1829, 91. 

Hannah Humphrey, 1740,1821,81. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Benjamin, 1st, 


1757. 


1759, 2. 


Died in childhood. 


Benjamin, 2d, 


1759, 


1787. 28. 


Married Dorcas Case. 


Lois, 


1761, 

13 


1802, 41. 


Married John Foot, Jun 



98 



Caina, 

Dudley, 

Cyrene, 

Cosmilly, 

Lemuel, 

Thaddeus, 

Thankful, 

Lucretia, 

Elizabeth, 

Philemon, 



1764. 

1766. 

1769, 1852, 83. 

1771, 1829, 58. 

1773, 1808, 35. 

1775, 1846, 71 

1778. 

1780, 1809, 29. 

1783, 1852, 70. 

1785, 1793, 8. 



Married Rhoda Case, 2d. 
Married Lovisa Wilcox. 
Married Noah Humphrey. 
Married Amos Leete. 
Married Dorothy Bodwell. 
Married Sarah Case. 
Married Charles Slocum. 
Married Plinny Case. 
Died single. 
Died in youth. 



Col. AMASA MILLS, fourth son of Dea. Joseph Mills, 
with his wife Lucy, the oldpst daughter of Peter Curtis, 
commenced their family state about the year 1756. Their 
first house was built near where the house of Simeon Mills 
now stands. He afterward built on the site of the house 
built by the late Gardner Mills, Sen., deceased, and now 
occupied by his descendants. 



Parents. 

Amasa Mills, 
Lucy Curtis, 



Born. Died. Age. 
1735, 1821, 86. 
1737, 1816, 79. 



Children. 



Arnon, 1st, 
Lucy, Ist, 
Lowly, 
Diadama, 
Amasa, Jun. 



Delilah, 
Arnon, 2d, 
Lucy, 2d, 

Gardner, 



Clarissa, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1757. Died in childhood. 

Died in girlhood. 

1760. Married Job Barber. 

1762, 1841, 78. Married Daniel Merrell. 

1764, 1846, 82. Married 1st, Patience Bald- 
win, 2d. Charlotte Gar- 
rett. 

1766. Married Frederick Moses. 

1769, 1810, 41. Married Mary Barnes. 

1772, 1841, 69. Married 1st, John Merritt; 

2d, David Stockwell. 

1773, 1845, 71. Married Mary F. Skinner. 
1775, 1776. Died in childhood. 

1780, 1792, 12. Died in early girlhood. 



99 

Col. MILLS was a soldier in the old French war 

on the borders of Canada; he commanded a company in 
nearly all of the campaigns of the war of the Revolution. 
He became a major near its close and was a colonel in the 
militia. He was reputed a good officer and a useful citizen. 



Rev. GIDEON MILLS was the seventh son of the 
first Peter Mills, of Hollandish descent; his wife whose 
maiden name was Elizabeth, daughter of Brewster Higley, 
spent the most part of her youth and girlhood in the fam- 
ily of her cousin, the first Gov. Trumbull, of Lebanon. 
The Rev. Mr. Mills, having been minister of Old Simsbury 
about ten years previous to 1755, after living and preaching 
one or two years in West Simsbury, he was installed in the 
year 1759. He lived and died on the place which was left 
to his son Gideon, and which after passing through several 
hands was lately owned by Henry Foote. 

All the time of his ministry in West Simsbury, he lived 
two and a half miles from the meeting-house, over a very 
hilly, cold and uneven road, which would now be called a 
hard sabbath day's journey for a clergyman or a layman; this 
road he traveled weekly, and sometimes much oftener. One 
incident respecting the Rev. Gideon Mills is thought worthy 
of notice. He was habitually fond of sacred music, and 
would request others that could sing to join with him and 
he retained his relish for singing even to his dying mo- 
ments. He died of a cancer in the face, which kept him in 
great sufi'ering, for many of the last weeks of his life. He 
dwelt much on the sentiments expressed in the 38th psalm, 
(Watts,) "Amidst thy wrath remember love," <fec. ; also the 
39th. "God of my life look gently down." Just before he 
expired he requested the friends in attendance to sing the 38th 
psalm, "Amidst they wrath remember love," and attempted 
to join with them, but when the fore part of the psalm was 
sung he expired, so that it was said by Mr, Hallock, on a 
certain occasion, that he died singing the 38th psalm. 

LofC. 



100 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Rev. Gideon Mills, 


1716, 


1772, 


56. 


Elizabeth Higley, 


1723, 


1774, 


51. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Gideon, Jun., 


1749, 


1813, 


64. 


Samuel, 


1751, 


1814, 


63. 


Elizabeth, 


1753, 


1835, 


73. 


Jedediah, 


1755. 






Anna, 




1789. 





Faithe, 



1765, 1850, 95. 



Married 1st, Miss Sarah Gil- 
pin; 2d, Miss — Bel- 
den; 3d, Mrs. . 

Married 1st, Gideon Curtis; 
2d, Rufus Hawley. 

Married Miss Wells. 

3d wife of Rev. William Rob- 
inson. 

First wife of Roswell Spencer; 
2d wife of Eber Alford. 



Lieut. GIDEON MILLS, oldest son of Eev. Gideon 
and Elizabetli Mills, married Ruth, third daughter of Oliver 
Humphrey, Esq. He resided on the farm left by his hon- 
ored father until the year 1800, when he removed to Bark- 
hamsted, where he resided the remainder of his life. They 
had two sons and four daughters. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Gideon Mills, 


1749, 


1813, 


64. 


Married, 1771. 


Ruth Humphrey, 


1748, 


1822, 


74. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Ruth, 


1771, 


1808, 


, 37 


Married Owen Brown. 


Gideon, Jun., 


1773. 






Married Dorothy Hayes. 


Oliver, 


1777. 






Married Amelia Wells. 


Elizabeth, or Betsy, 


1779. 






Married Doct. Thompson. 


Susannah, 


1781. 






Married Daniel Richardson, 


Sarah Ann. 


1783. 






Married Daniel Woodruff. 



101 



SKETCH OR HISTORY OF THE ANCIENT MILLS FAMILY, 
THAT WERE BORN AND BROUGHT UP IN WINTONBURY, 
NOW BLOOMFIELD, AS A DISTINCT RACE FROM THE 
MILLS OF SIMSBURY AND CANTON. 



PETEE MILLS, the great ancestor of that race of Mills, 
came from Holland. Tradition is that his Dutch name be- 
fore settling in this country was something like Van Molan, 
which was changed to Mills. He was born 1666, and died 
1754, aged 88. He resided near the east part of what is now 
Bloomfield, eastward from the residence of Samuel Mills, 
near the confines of Windsor Plain. He was by trade a 
tailor, which business he followed through the active part of 
his life. He had seven sons; their names were Jedediah, 
who graduated at Tale College, A. D. 1722; entered the min- 
istry, and settled in the part of Stratford then called Ripton, 
now Huntington. He was a minister of considerable note 
in that period; some of his works were published. He was 
the ancestor of the Mills in Fairfield and New Haven coun- 
ties. Pelatiah, another son, was born 1693, and was an 
able attorney at law, and useful citizen, and was the ances- 
tor of the Mills now remaining in Bloomfield and Windsor. 
John, another sou, was the father of Rev. Samuel John, and 
Rev. Edmund, minister of Sutton, Mass. Peter was the 
father of a numerous offspring scattered in various parts of 
the country; among them Mrs. Anna Hinman; now living in 
Canton; Rev. Ebenezer, graduate of 1739, first minister of 
East Gnmby. His descendants are in Sandisfield and vicin- 
ity. Rev. Gideon, the seventh son, graduated at Yale Col- 
lege, A. D. 1737; settled in Simsbury first, afterward in West 
Simsbury. (See history of Rev. Gideon Mills.) There was 
in the early part of the family, one by the name of Return, 
about whom very little is now known further than the record 
that she died A. D. 1689. Pelatiah, 2d, a grandson of Peter, 
was a man held in high estimation, both in civil, ecclesiasti- 
cal, and religious concerns. He died, 1786. 



102 

Key. SAMUEL MILLS, son of Kev. Gideon Mills, 
commenced study in early life with a view to the gospel 
ministry. He graduated at Yale College, A. D. 1776. Being 
full of the patriotism prevalent at that time, he entered the 
American army as lieutenant in the cavalry. In one of 
those actions which took place in the autumn of 1777, this 
young officer received a wound from a horseman's sword, 
in the forehead; was taken prisoner and conveyed into 
Philadelphia, with a deep and dangerous wound, the scar 
of which he carried through the remainder of his life, The 
sick and wounded prisoners in Philadelphia, experienced far 
different treatment from that which those unfortunate Amer- 
ican prisoners received from the British and Tories in New 
York in 1776. A kind Providence furnished a goodly num- 
ber of ministering angels, (if the expression might be allow- 
able,) in the persons of some of the most accomplished ladies 
of Philadelphia. Those of superior rank and refinement, 
took it upon them to visit and minister to the wants of the 
suffering prisoners. Among those worthy ladies was Miss 
Sarah Gilpin, a person of high refinement and accomplish- 
ments. Her labors of benevolence, brought her and Lieut. 
Samuel to an acquaintance, which eventuated in his obtain- 
ing her hand and heart. He pursued and finished his theo- 
logical studies, and was married to Miss Gilpin, and was 
settled pastor over the church and society of Chester, then 
a part of Saybrook. She was the mother of eight children. 
Their names were Mary, Samuel, Thomas Sarah, Emily, 
Gideon John, Eliza and Benoni. She died in 1796. Mr. 
Mills, in the year 1798, married Miss Rebecca Belden, daugh- 
ter of Col. John Belden, of Wethersfield. They had one son, 
born in 1800. The mother died in 1801. Mr. Mills after- 
ward married his third wife, with whom he lived till 1814, 
when he died of typhus fever, which was then prevalent in 
that town. Mrs. Mills, the third wife, died but a few days 
after him, of the same disease. 



103 

JOHN MILLS, JuN., was born 1690, and was son of Jolin 
Mills, Sen,, and brother to Dea. Joseph Mills, of West 
Simsbury. He with his wifeDamaris Phelps, married 1720, 
and resided on the land at the junction of the lovely street 
road with the Hartford and Albany turnpike, near the old 
Hosford stand. They had four sons. Job, John, David and 
Jared; also a daughter Prudence, who was married to Sam- 
uel Humphrey, 4th. 



JAKED MILLS' FAMILY. 



Parents. 



Born. Died. Age. 



Jared Mills, Oct. 8, 1746, 1832, 76. Married March 11th, 1767. 

1st wife, Apphia Hig- 
ley, 1746, 1783, 37. 

2d wife, Joanuah Rus- 
sell, 1743, 1820, 67. Married March 17th, 1784. 

3d wife, Ann Dyer, 1843,91. Married July 19th, 1821. 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. . 


&.ge. 


Lucretia, 


Dec. 11, 1767, 


1771, 


3. 


A son, 


Aug. 20, 1769. 






Chloe. 


July 14, 1770, 


1838, 


68. 


Jared, Jr., 


Dec. 19, 1773, 


1821, 


49. 


Joel, 


Feb. 10, 1775, 


1776, 


1. 


Joel, 2d, 


Dec. 3, 1776, 


1823, 


47. 


Daughter, 


Dec. 18, 1778. 






A son. 


Aug. 29, 1779. 






Daughter, 


Jiily20, 1780. 






A son, 


Dec. 1, 1781. 






Norman, 


Sept. 30, 1784, 


1824, 


, 40. 


Lucretia, 


Jan. 27, 1786, 


1817, 


31. 


Isaac, 


Aug. 7, 1787. 






Harriet, 


Feb. 9, 1789. 






Catharine, 


March 27, 1790. 







Lived but a short time. 
Married Frederick West. 
Married 1st, Susannah Case; 
2d, Polly Fowler. 

Married Joanna Russell, 2d. 
Lived but a short time. 



Married Charlotte Laflin. 

Living, 1856; married As- 

senath Merrill. 
Living, 1856; married Jo- 
seph Daily. 

Living, 1856: married Sam- 
uel Pettibone. 



104 



Damaris, 
Damaris, 
George, 



Dec. 25, 1791, 1792, 
June 13, 1793, 
Feb. 26, 1795. 



Married Cyrus Miller. 
Married Betsy Woodford. 



JOHN MOSES. He was among the earliest settlers in 
the Northern part of West Simsbury, probably as early as 
1745. He, with his wife Rhoda, settled on the place now 
owned by Seymour D. Moses, in the North district, near the 
North burying-ground, which was on his premises. His 
little daughter Eunice was the first that was interred in that 
place. She died March, 1754, aged two years and four 
months. He subsequently removed to the premises now 
owned by Robert Case and sons. He erected a grist mill on 
his last farm, which bore his name. He left the town in the 
latter part of the last century, and but little is known re- 
specting his last years or of his family. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age. 


John Moses. 




Rhoda, 


1735, 1768, 43. 


Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Eunice, 


1752, 1754, 2. 


Rhoda, 


1756, 1761, 5. 


Infant, 


1768, 1768. Aged 1 month, 



BENONI MOSES. He, with his wife Susannah, set- 
tled in the North district on lands now owned by Anson 
Case, about the year 1744. He was a carpenter by trade, 
and a man of considerable note. There is but little known 
about this family now, except by tradition and by burial list. 



Parents. 

Benoni Moses, 

1st wife, Susannah, 

3d wife. Phebe, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1711, 1787, 76. 

1719, 1774, 55. Daughter of John Humph- 
rey, Esq. 
1726. 1786, 60. 



105 



Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Ezekiel, 


1741. 


Elnathan, 


1743. 


Susannah, 


1746. 


Lois, 


174i). Marrie 


Shubael, 


1753. 


Sarah, 


1756. 


Ezekiel, 2d, 


1762. 


Elizabeth, 


1765. 



Lieut. TIMOTHY MOSES died 1793, aged 62 years. 
Thankful, bis wife, died 1790, aged 69 years. 



ELISHA MOSES, a brother of Aaron, came with his 
wife to West Simsbury and settled in the North district in 
1757, on the farm now owned by Eliphalet Case. They had 
four children, including one that died in infancy. His wife 
was a daughter of Thomas and Mercy Barber; the latter 
died at the house of her daughter, in 1793, aged 93 years. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Elisha Moses, 


1736, 


1808, 


71. 




Mercy Barber, 




1815. 






Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Mercy, 


1762. 






Married Elihu Beach. 


Elisha, 


1760. 






Married Miss Merrells, 


Infant, 


1764, 


1764. 






Frederick, 


1769, 


1824, 


55. 


Married Delilah Mills. 



Dea. AAKON MOSES, a son of Timothy Moses, with 
his wife, Susannah Seymour, came from Wintonbury to 
West Simsbury, about the year 1757, and settled in the North 
U 



106 

district, on the premises now (1856) owned by Thomas and 
Horace Vining. They had six children. 



Parents. 



Born. Died. Age. 
1733, 1809, 76. 



Aaron Moses, 

1st wife, Susannah 
Seymour, 1738, 1783, 45 

2d wife, Rachel Gil- 
bert, 1732, 1821, 89 



Children. 

Darius, 
Aseneth, 
Susannah, 
Aaron Seymour, 
Martin Levi, 
Seymour Aaron, 



Born. Died. Age 

1758, 1834, 66. 

1760. 

17b2. 

1763, 1773, 9. 

1767, 1784, 17. 

1772, 1846, 74. 



Married Sarah Adams. 

Married Adams. 

Married Joseph Buttolph. 



He was drowned. 

Married Rhoda Humphrey. 



Capt. DARIUS MOSES, son of Dea. Aaron and Susan- 
nah, and grandson of Lieut. Timothy Moses. He resided 
and erected the dwelling-house and buildings on the premises 
now owned by Stanley Weed, in the North school-district. 
He was a very useful citizen. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Darius Moses, 


1758, 


1824, 


66. 




Sarah Adams, 


1755, 


1834, 


79. 


Daughter of Lieut. David 
Adams. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Sarah, 


1780, 


1854, 


74. 


Died single. 


Darius, 3d, 


1782, 


1834, 


43. 


Married Sodema Holcomb, 
daughter of Jesse Holcomb. 


Ashbel, 


1784. 






Married Candace Dyer. 


Roxy, 


1786, 


1788, 


2. 


Died by being scalded. 


Chauncey, 


1789, 


1851, 


62. 


Married Katherine Johnson. 


Flora, 


1791. 






Married Elisha Sugden. 


Roxy, 


1796. 






Married Bela Squires. 


Chester, 


1798. 






Married Charlotte Moses. 



107 



ABRAHAM MOSES, son of Caleb Moses, Jim., of Sims- 
bury was married to Mercy, daughter of Richard and Mary 
Case. They resided on land now belonging to John Case, 
situated between the farms of T^elson Aldrich and Ros- 
well Barnes, on the East Hill. He made a public pro- 
fession of religion in advanced life, A. D. 1821, being a sub- 
ject of the revival of that year. He appeared to honor his 
profession during the brief period of his subsequent life. He 
died in the summer of 1823, in his barn and alone. From 
appearance, viewing the j^lace and posture in which he was 
found, it was believed that death found him praying. 



Parents. 


Born 


. Died. 


Age. 




Atrahain Moses, 




1833. 






Mercy Case, 


1752, 


, 1818, 


66. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Loditha. 








Married Joab Barber. 


Abraham, Jun., 




1802, 


29. 


Married Charlotte Alford. 


Mercy. 








Married William Rowland. 


Dorcas. 








Married Job Talbot, of Avon. 


James. 








Married Clarissa Wilcox. 


Thaddeus, 




1828, 


44. 


Married Mereb Brockway; 
she died in 1845, aged 58. 



DANIEL MOSES, son of Caleb Moses, He, with his 
wife, who was Mary Wilcox, a daughter of Azariah Wilcox, 
came from the Old Parish to West Simsbury about the year 
1756, and settled on the farm now owned by Bethuel Case, 
adjoining the farm of the late Capt. Robert Wilcox, de- 
ceased, in North Canton. They had three sons and three 
daughters, besides two that died in childhood, about the 
year 1770. 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Daniel Moses, 1776. Died in the army. 

Mary Wilcox, 1732, 1816, 84. 



108 



Children. 

Daniel, Jun., 
Zebina, 



Roger, 
Charlotte. 



Born. Died. Age. 

1758, 1805, 47. 
1815, 51. 

1838. 



Married Anna Edgerton. 
Married Theodosia Curtis. 
Married Andrew Roby. 
Married Martin Roberts. 
Married Patience T. Barber. 
Married Job Phelps. 



ICHABOD MILLER He, with his wife Sarah Hol- 
comb, removed from the Okl Parish to West Simbury about 
the year 1746. They settled on the farm that had been left 
by Mr. Ephraim and Mrs. Mercy Buel, both deceased. The 
farm was adjoining Thomas Barber's. There were nine 
children in this Miller family. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. 


Age 


Ichabod Miller, 


1703, 1793, 


90. 


Sarah Holcomb, 


1716, 1800, 


84. 


Children. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 


Dudley, 1st, 


1742, 1763, 


20. 


Aaron, 


1744. 




Samuel, 


1746. 




Sarah, 


1749. 




Mehittabel, 


1752. 




Sabra, 


1755, 1807, 


52. 


Ruth, 


1757. 




Moses, 


1760. 




Dudley, 2d. 


1762, 1787, 


35. 



He died at Havana, 
He removed to Vermont. 
He removed to State of New 
York. 

Married John Merritt. 

Married George Adams. 

Married Ruth, a daughter 
of Richard Case, and re- 
moved to Hudson, Ohio. 



DUDLEY MILLER, 2d, was executed in 1787, in the 
State of New York. The crime was forgery, which, by a 
law of that State was punished by death. 



109 

Mr. ICHABOD MILLEK and a Mr. Eliot, had the 
charge of the works erected in Simsbury for the manufac- 
ture of steel, about the year 1743. (See Phelps' IliHtory, p. 
88.) His blacksmith's shop in this town stood a few rods 
north of the saw mill lately erected by Humphrey & Brown. 
He occupied this place probably from twelve to sixteen 
years, and then removed to what is now West Granby, where 
he died. His remains were brought to Canton and interred 
in the North burying-ground. 



JAMES McNALL, (the descendants will now have it 
to be McNEAL,) was of Irish descent. He married Mind- 
well, a daughter of Gamaliel Ward After the death of his 
father-in-law, and the death and removal of the other mem- 
bers of the Ward family, he remained a resident of the 
Ward place, so called, till he removed from West Sims- 
bury, about A. D. 1794. The Ward farm was situated in 
the North school-district, is now part of the western end of 
the premises of Eliphalet Case. The house stood the west 
side of the highway, some six or eight rods north of the 
bridge that crosses Cherries brook. The time of birth or 
death of the parents can not be ascertained. 



Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Rebecca, or Betsy. 




James, Jun., 


1767. 


Alexander, 


1770. 


Calvin, and a 


twin 


that died. 


1774. 


Luther, 


1776. 


Eunice, 


1779. 


Rosy, 


1781. 



JONATHAN MEKRELL, Sen. He came from West 
Hartford about the year 1739, and settled on the place after- 
ward owned by Dudley Case, and now owned by the family 



110 



of Mrs. Olive Pike. He had three sons and two daughters 
who settled in family state, and four of them had families. 
Jonathan Merrell, Sen., died in 1788, aged about 90 years. 



Children. 

William, 
Jonathan, Jun., 
Hepzibah, 

George. 
Susannah, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1732, 1806, 74. Married Sarah Kellogg. 
1734. Married Hannah Douglass. 

1743, 1817, 74. Married 1st, William Humph- 
rey; 2d, Sylvanus Case. 

1741, 1810, 69. Married Dudley Case, Jun. 



WILLIAM MERRELL, Sen., son of Jonathan Merrell, 
Sen. He with his wife, who was Sarah Kellogg, settled on 
the place that was afterward owned by the late Capt. Isaac 
Merrell. He settled in family state about the year 1752. 



Parents. 

William Merrell, 
Sarah Kellogg, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1732, 1806, 74. 
1735, 1801, 66. 



Children. 



Sarah, 



Born. Died. Age. 
1752. 



Rhoda, 


1754, 1786, 
1757, 1792, 


32, 
37. 


Daniel, 


1759, 1829, 


70. 


William, Jun., 


1761, 1830, 


69. 


Sybil, 


1763. 




Margaret, 


1765. 




Isaac. 


17G7, 1846, 


78, 



Candace, 



1771. 



Married Oliver Bronson, the 
the father of Judge Greene 
C. Bronson, of New York. 

Married Ashbel Benham. 

Married Diadama Mills. 

Married 1st, Elizabeth Wil- 
cox; 2d, Thede Brown. 

Married Asa Cowles. 

Married William Roberts. 

Married Elizabeth Seymour; 
died, 1855. 

Married Bates Willey. 



Ill 

JONATHAN MEKRELL, 2d, with his wife, who was 
Hannah Douglass, settled on the premises now owned by- 
Norman N. Bidwell. They had three sons and four daugh- 
ters who settled in family state and left children. 



Parents. 


Bom. Died. 


Age. 




Jonathan Merrell, 


1734. 






Hannah Douglass, 


1741. 






Children. 


Born- Died. 


Age. 




Rachael, April, 


1763. 




Married Ist, Miller, 

who was drowned; 2d. 
James Hill. 


Jonathan, Jun., 


1764, 1842, 


78. 


Married 1st, Asenath Tuller; 
2d, widow Goodwin. 


Benajah, June, 


1766. 




Married Mrs. Hen- 
derson. 


Abi, Jan., 


1769, 1848, 


79. 


Married Jonathan Barber. 


Hannah, March, 


, 1772, 1816, 


44. 


Married Roswell Barnes. 


Susannah, Nov., 


1773. 






George, Dec, 


1778, 1842, 


64. 





GEORGE MERRELL, son of Jonathan Merrell, 1st, 
settled at first on the place in New Hartford, (now Canton;) 
the farm is now owned by the family of Mrs. Olive Pike; 
afterward he removed from it to the farm that was the prop- 
erty of the late Daniel Merrell, deceased. 

This family have long been gone from this part of the 
country. 



Petti- 



Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Hannah, 


1806. Married Chauncej 




bone. 




Married Edward Dill. 



Shubael. 



\ 



/ 



112 



JOSEPH MESSENGEE, was the first of that name 
that settled in West Simsbury, and was a son of Nathan 
Messenger, of Windsor. Joseph Messenger, and his wife, 
Catharine Holcomb, daughter of Nathaniel Holcomb, and 
granddaughter of Thomas, Holcomb, came from that part 
of bimsbury that is now Granby, and settled in West Sims- 
bury in 1742, in the north-west part of the Center school- 
district; his son Isaac and his wife came with them. They 
settled on the farm now owned by Almon and Newel Mes- 
senger. 



Parents. 

Joseph Messenger. 
Katharine Holcomb, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1685, 1763, 78. Married, 17a7. 
1689, 1769, 80. 



Children. 


Born- Died. Age. 


Sarah, 


1710. 


Joseph, Jun., 


1713. 


Jehiel, 


1715. 


Isaac, 


1717. 


Catharine, 


1720. 


Elijah, 


1722. 


Nathaniel, 


1725. 



ISAAC MESSENGER, was the third son of Joseph and 
Katherine Messenger. He settled on the farm that was 
occupied by his father. Isaac and his wife had fifteen chil- 
dren, ten sons and five daughters; thirteen of the family grew 
up and settled in life, and twelve of them left children. 

Mr. Isaac Messenger was in the early part of his family 
state, an expert hunter. His family were noted as being 
remarkably large, strong and robust. 



Parents. 

Isaac Messenger, 
Hannah Alford, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1717, 1801, 84. 
1727, 1811, 84. 



Daniel 
ford. 



of Nathaniel Al- 



113 



Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




Joseph, Jr.. 


1741, 






Married Jemima Barber. 


Hannah, 


1743. 






Married William Brittian. 


Isaac. 


1745. 






Married Anna Ward. 


Simeon, 


1746, 


1821, 


75. 


Married Mary Paine. 


Moses. 


1748, 


1811, 


63. 


Married Isabel McFarland. 


Aaron, 


1750. 








Reuben, 


1752, 


1838, 


86. 


Married Eunice Bunce. 


Dorcas, 


1754, 


1760, 


6. 




Elisha, 


1756. 






Married Hayes. 


Elijah, 


1758. 






Married Lucretia Matson. 


Abner, 


1760. 






Married Abigail Pike. 


Dorcas, 


1762, 


1793. 


31. 


Married William Brittian. 


Rosy, 


1764, 


1849, 


85. 


Married Francis Bacon. 


Keziah, 


1766, 


1778, 


12. 




Carnii, 


1771, 


1825, 


54. 


Married Ist, Rachel Dam'els; 
2d, SabraCase. 



JOSEPH MESSENGEE, 3d, oldest son of Isaac Mes- 
senger, grandson of Joseph, 1st, and great grandson of Na- 
than Messenger, of Windsor, married to Jemima Barber, 
daughter of the then hite Jonathan Barber, deceased, com- 
menced family state about the year 1762; was the first 
resident on the farm afterward owned by Theophilus 
Humphrey, adjoining Kimberley's line. This farm is now 
owned by Loin H, Humphrey, and occupied by John Mil- 
lard, Esq. He removed in 1782, to Otis, Mass., and removed 
from Otis about 1791, to the Delaware region, State of Penn- 
sylvania, where it is understood he spent the remainder of 
his life. Among his children were Joseph, Jun., Cornish, 
Jemima, Zebina, and perhaps others. This is all that is 
known to the writer about this family. 



ISAAC MESSENGEE, Jun., was second son of Isaac, 
Sen. He married Anna, daughter of Gamaliel Ward. He, 
in the early part of his family state, resided on the farm now 
15 



114 

OAvned and occupied by Friend White, within the confines 
of Barkhamsted, in the part then called Ratlum. He re- 
moved from Barkhamsted to Western New York, about the 
year 1794. His children were Isaac, Jun., Hannah, Damaris, 
and others, including some four that died in infancy. 



I 



SIMEON MESSENGER He was the third son of 
Isaac, Sen. He, with his wife, settled in the year 1769, on 
the Hill farm, then in the town of New Hartford. The 
site of his first house wasnear the dwelling now occupied by 
Daniel Humphrey, near the confines of Barkhamsted. His 
first house was destroyed by fire in 1785, but was rebuilt 
soon and he remained there until 1792, when he removed to 
the south-east part of Barkhamsted, where he spent the re- 
mainder of his life. He was a man of great frame, large 
bone, and of great strength for labor, when in the prime of 
life particularly at mowing. It may be said of the whole 
of those ten Messenger brothers, that they were uncommon- 
ly great, strong men. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age 


Simeon Messenger, 


1746, 1821, 75. 


Mary Paine, 


1825. 


Children. 


Born. Died. Age 


Betsy, 


1770. 


Hira, 


1772. 


Simeon, Jim., 


1773. 


Trueman, 


1775. 


Loditha, 


1777. 


Diadama, 


1779, 1830, 51. 


William, 


1781, 


Elihu, 


1783. 



Married Noah Gibbert. 
Died single. 
Married Lucy Daniels. 
Moved to State of New 

York. 
Married 1st, John Wright; 

2d, Avery Brown. 
Married John Higley. 
Married Ruth Miller. 
Married Polly Merritt. 



115 

JOHN OWEN, the great ancestor of most of the Owens, 
was a native of Wales, Great Britain, He was among the 
first settlers of Windsor. He married Rebecca Wade, A. D. 
1650. Their children were, Josias, born 1651; then two in 
succession by the name of John, who both died in childhood; 
Nathaniel, born 1656; Daniel, born 1658; Joseph, born 1660; 
Mary, born 1662; Benjamin, born 1664. The late John 
Owen, Esq., of Simsbury, was a descendant of Josias, one 
of the aforementioned sons. Isaac Owen married Sarah 
Holcomb. They had two sons. Isaac, Jun., or 2d, was the 
ancestor of the Owens in Turkey Hills, or East Granby. 
Elijah, the second son of the first Isaac, and grandson of 
the first John Owen, was the ancestor of another family 
of Owens, who removed to the State of Massachusetts; 
also, a family of Alfords, the children of Benedict Alford 
and Rebecca Owen who removed to Vermont about 1790; 
also of Hannah, the wife of Capt. John Brown, the mother 
of the Brown family that were reared up in Canton the 
latter part of the last century. 



Capt. ABRAHAM PETTIBONE, Sen., son of Samuel 
Pettiboue, Jun., and great grandson of the first John Petti- 
bone, was an early settler in West Britain, now Burlington. 
His landed property lay on the confines of Burlington, New 
Hartford and Canton. He is entitled to a place in these short 
sketches, as numbers of his descendants were connected with, 
and became inhabitants of Canton, and there lie buried the 
remains of the early fathers, and mothers, of their race. He, 
for first wife, married Jerusha Pinney, of Simsbury; for 
second, daughter of Dea. Michael Humphrey, and widow 
of Lieut. Sadosa Wilcox. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Abraham Pettibpne, 1727, 1797, 70. 

Children by 1st wife. Bom. Died. Age. 

Abraham, Jun,, 1751, 1834, 83. Married 1st, Amelia Smith; 

2d, Huldah Prindle. 



116 



Jerusha, 


1753, 


1815, 


62. 


Samuel, 


1755, 


1778, 


23. 


Elizabeth, 


1756, 


1784, 


28. 


Theodore, 


1761, 


1821, 


60. 


Chauncey, 


1766, 


1801, 


35. 


Alexander, 


1763, 


1801, 


38. 


Charlotte, 


1772, 


1855. 


83. 


Theophilus, 


1769, 


1834, 


65. 


Norman, 


1774, 


1814, 


40. 



Married Seth Spencer, of 

New Hartford. 
Died aboard of prison-ship in 

New York. 
Married George Humphrey. 
Married Mary Humphrey. 
Married Hannah Merrell. 
Married Lydia Humphrey. 
Married Joseph Dyer. 
Married Esther Whitmore. 
Married 1st Lovisa Nobles, 

of Westfield, Mass.; 2d. 

Pamelia Whitmore. 



Children by 2d 


wife. 


Born. Died. Age 




Clarissa, 




1784. 


Married Horatio Gates, of 
Douglass, Mass.; now liv- 
ing, (1856.) 


Roxy, 




1782, 1848, 66. 


Married John Beck with. 


Anna, 




1786, 1822, 36. 


Married Norman Humphrey. 



THOMAS PHELPS settled in West Simsbury, (now 
Canton,) in tlie year 1745. He first resided on tlie place 
now owned by Richard Case. His wife, Margaret Watson, 
a near relative (supposed to be aunt) of the noted James 
Watson, who flourished in New York in the latter part 
of the Eighteenth century, and was noted for enterprise, 
wealth and respectability. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Thomas Phelps, 1710, 1777, 67. 

Margaret Watson, 1717, 1777, 60. 



Children. 


Born- Died. Age. 


Sarah, 


1738. 


Thomas, 


1740, 1789, 49. 



2d wife of Hezekiah Adams. 

Was father of the late Anson 
G. Phelps, of New York; 
married Dorothy Wood- 
bridge, granddaughter of 
Rev. Timothy Woodbridge. 



117 



Margaret, 

Lois, 

Hannah, 

Job, 

Mary, 



1745. 

1747, 1776, 29. 

1749, 1825, 76. 

1752, 1777, 24. 

1755, 1784, 29. 



Married Moses Cook. 
2d wife of Daniel Graham. 
Married Jimes Merritt. 

Married Phebe . 

Married Joel Barber. 



BENJAMIN PHELPS, brother of Thomas Phelps, with 
Lydia Palmer, his first wife, came from Windsor to "West 

Simsbury, about the year . He lived on the place 

now owned by Richard Case. 

Parents. Born. Die(J. Age. 

Benjamin Phelps, 1718, 1785, 67. 

1st wife, Lydia Pal- 
mer, 1740, 1776, 36. 

2d wife, Elizabeth 

Goodhue, 1812. 



Children by 1st wife. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 




Benjamin, Jun. , 


1769, 1775, 


6. 




Lydia, 


1770, 1802, 


31. 


Married Freeman Graham. 


Sarah, 


1776, 1776. 






Children by 2d wife 


Born. Died, 


Age. 




Elizabeth, 


1780, 18.32, 


52. 




Benjamin, 


1782, 1850, 


68. 


Died in the State of New 
York. 



WILLIAM PAINE settled on the place now owned by 
Elijah Whiting, about the year 1758. He had sons of 
the names of Jesse, Isaac, Abraham, Ezra and Eber. The 
names of the daughters are not known to the writer. The 
family removed out of West Simsbury on to the farm now 
owned by Dea. Charles Eichards, of New Hartford. 



118 

JOB PHELPS, son of Thomas, Sen., and Margaret Phelps, 

married Phebe , about 1772. The wife and mother 

died in 1776, aged 20. He resided on the east side of the 
road, east of the house now owned by the family of the late 
Robert Case, Jun,, deceased. After the death of his wife he 
went into the army; was camp waiter to Capt. John Brown, 
in 1776, and died of small-pox in 1777. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Job Phelps, 


1752, 1777, 24. 


Phebe , 


1756, 1776, 20. 


Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Job, Jun., or 2d. 


1772. 


Infant, 


1775, 1775. 



GEORGE PHELPS, with William, his brother, came 
from England. George was the great ancestor of Thomas 
and Benjamin Phelps. The descent from George to Thomas 
was followed down through, by the name of three Abrahams* 
in direct succession. 



DARIUS PRIEST and Hepzibah , his wife, re- 
sided in West Simsbury as early as 1768. He resided on 
several different farms during his life; was a remarkably 
strong man for labor; his two oldest children were cut down 
in the autumn of 1776, by the dysentery, which was then 
prevalent and very mortal in this part of the country. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Darius Priest, 


1744, 1801, 57. 


Hepzibah , 


1751, 1801, 50. 


Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 


Cyntha, 


1769, 1776, 7. 


Mary, 


1772, 1776, 4. 



119 



Darius, Jun., 


1775. 








William, 


1778. 








Hepzibah. 


1787, 


180G. 


19, 


Was living 
Case. 



with Mr. Hosea 



WILLIAM EGBERTS, 1st. There were among the 
early settlers of West Simsburj, two by the name of Wil- 
liam Roberts. It is not known what relationship they sus- 
tained to each other, if any. They will be here distinguished 
in this work by the term of 1st and 2d. William Roberts, 
1st, was among the pioneers of the town of Canton. His 
residence was on land, now the east part of the farm of 

Israel W. Graham. His wife was Hannah . They 

probably had several children, but nothing is known to the 
writer except what follows, viz., their daughter Anna, who 
was born in 1748, became the wife of Abel Adams. Rec- 
ord te lis us also, that Mr. and Mrs. Roberts buried a daugh- 
ter Susannah, born in 1756, and died the same year. The 
parents, about the time of the commencement of the Ameri- 
can Revolution, removed to the State of Vermont, which 
closes their history as it respects Canton. 



WILLIAM ROBERTS, 2d, commenced family state, 
with his wife Phebe Wilcox, about 1756. They resided in 
the vicinity of the village of Collinsvdle. He lost his life in 
attempting to cross the dam at Segur's mill, at low water. 
An axe that he was known to have with him when he was 
last seen, was found near the dam, although his body had 
floated down stream many rods. His death happened about 
the year 1774. His widow afterward married John Wallen, 
of New Hartford. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

William Roberts, 2d. 
Phebe Wilcox. 



120 



Children. 


Born. Died, 


Age. 




Martin. 






Married a daughter of the late 
Daniel Moses. 


William, Jun., 


1824. 




Married Margaret Merrill; 
she died, 1824. 


Phebe, 


1837, 


76. 


Married Riverius Bidwell, 
Es^. 


Lucina, 


1816. 




Married David Taylor. 


Reuben, 


1789. 




Died unmarried. 


Mind well, 


1833, 


64. 


Married Gurdon Humphrey, 
father of the late Mrs. Eliza 
Spencer. 


Elizabeth, 


1844. 




Married William Humphrey. 


Aseneth. 






Married Thomas Gleason. 



HEZEKIAH KICHARDS, with his wife, whose maiden 
name was Sarah Case, settled at the south-west part of 
West Simsbury, near the confines of New Hartford and Bur- 
lington. He resided on the premises now owned by his 
grandson, William J. Richards. They had five children, four 
sons and one daughter. The time of their settlement in 
West Simsbury was A. D. 1761. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. 


Age, 




Hezekiah Richards, 


1732, 1776, 


44. 




Sarah Case. 


1734, 1799, 


65. 




Children. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 




Hezekiah, Jun., 


1757, 1831, 


74. 


Married 1st, Miss Mos 
2d, 


Timothy, 


1760, 1782, 


22. 




Samuel, 


1763, 1837, 


74. 


Married 1st, Ede Case; i 
Naomi Simons. 


Sarah, 


1766, 1853, 


87, 


Married Michael Braughton. 


Jonah, 


1769, 1850, 


81. 


Married Nancy Cornwall. 



2d. 



121 



THOMAS SUGDEN came from England as a soldier 
in the British army. It is understood that he deserted from 
the British service. He came to Connecticut in 1777, and 
married Persia Dunham, of New Britain, where he com- 
menced family state, but soon removed to the south-west 
part of Simsbury, Old Parish; from the latter place he in 
1802, removed to Canton, North school-district, and settled 
on the place now owned by Marvin Case. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age, 




Thomas Sugden, 


1759, 


1819, 


60. 




Persia Dunham, 


1759, 


1834, 


75. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




John, 


1780. 






Married Elizabeth Hull. 


Thomcs, Jun., 


1783. 






Married Thede Humphrey; 
removed to Hartland in 
1812, then to Michigan in 
1833. 


Elisha, 


1786, 


1843, 


57. 


Married Flora Moses; re- 
moved to Hartford in 1838, 
where he died in 1843. 


Sarah, or Sally, 


1788. 






Married Elisha Pettibone. 


Hannah, 


1790, 


1808, 


18. 


Died single. 


Nancy. 


1792. 






Married David Taylor. 


Chester, 


1796, 


1815, 


19. 


Died single. 



JOHN SEGUE, with his first wife Elizabeth, came from 
the east part of Simsbury, and settled in West Granby, ad- 
joining the premises of Noah and Levi Case, about the year 
1750. 



John Segur, 

1st wife, Elizabeth, 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

1725, 1808, 83. 

1729, 1760, 31. Her infant was buried with 
her. 
2d wife, Huldah, 1785. 

3d wife. Deliverance 
Clarke, 1728. 1801. 73. 

16 



122 



Children. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 




Elizabeth, 


1795. 




Married Jesse Steele, 


Annah, 


1758, 1779, 


21. 




Infant, 


1760, 1760. 






John. 






Died young. 


Augustus, 


1839. 




Married daughter of Eli Tul- 
ler. 


Huldah. 








Two infants, 


1768, 1768, 






Mary, 


1770, 1779, 


9. 





JOSEPH SEGUE, Jun., was an early settler in West 
Simsbury. He resided on the west side of Farmington river. 
His house stood where is now the center of Collinsville, 
west village. The farm that he owned, now belongs to the 
Collins Company, and Samuel W. Collins, Esq. During a 
great share of his family state previous to 1795, he tended 
the grist-mill, then called Segur's Mill. The mill stood the 
east side of the river some eight or ten rods south of the 
main bridge, the great flat rock in the middle of the river, 
making the middle part of the dam, which was a low one. 
He daily crossed the river in his canoe, to go to and from the 
grist-mill, when the river was not frozen sufiicient to be safe 
crossing on the ice. Among his children were Israel, Charles, 
Benoni, the wife of Eliphalet Alford, and two other daugh- 
ters. He, with his son Benoni, removed to New Hartford 
in 1805, to spend the remainder of his days, where he and 
his wife died in 1818, The family are now gone from this 
town. His father Joseph Segur, Sen., married Dorothy Al- 
ford in 1730. The writer will relate one little incident con- 
nected with that mill, which made some sport among the 
people at the time being. Mr. Chauncey Gleason, a trader 
in the East Village, then called Suflrage, having a quantity of 
brimstone in the roll or lump, wishing to pulverize it into 
fine sulphur, (an article sometimes used in families at that 
time,) carried a large quantity of it to Segur's mill to be 
ground, in the year 1789-90; it was put into the corn-mill, 



123 



but it soon took fire and flamed up frightfully. Gleason ran 
to the river and brought water in his hat to extinguish the 
flames. The undertaking soon proved a failure, and in the 
operation, Mr. Gleason having on a valuable broadcloth coat, 
spoiled it for use; the mill became thoroughly scented with 
the itch antidote, and the event was well spread abroad. 
A neighboring poor family had a small grist of indian corn 
ground in the mill afterward, and in trying to bake some 
of the meal in johnny cakes before the fire, their cakes ignited 
and blazed up. A man by the name of Bethuel Parker, an 
apt poetical genius, wrote a lengthy and apt poem on this 
laughable subject, entitled "Hell upon Earth, or Brimstone 
in the Grist-Mill," touching upon different parts of the 
scene, something after the manner of Cowper's John Gilpin. 
He compared the blazing of the mill and johnny cakes, to 
Mount iEtna in a blaze. The closing lines were: 

" Then Segur cries out in bitterness of soul, 
Have mercy, Lord, though I did take large toll." 



CALEB SPENCEE. with his wife Hannah 



— , came 

from Hartford, and first settled and built near the dwelling- 
house of the late Giles Lattimer. He subsequently bought 
of Daniel Barber, of Simsbnry, and lived and died on the 
place now owned by his great grandson, Amos L. Spencer, 
North Canton. He settled in this town about 1756. 



Parents. 

Caleb Spencer, 
Hannah Spencer, 

Children. 

Ebenezer, 

Roswell, 

Caleb, 

Moses, 

Amos, 

Hannah, about 



Born. Died. Age. 

1735, 1816, 81. 
1735, 1798, 63. 

Born. Died. Age. 

1760. 

1806. 
1762, 1770, 8. 
1768, 1770, 2. 
1772, 1847, 75. Married Candace Case. 



Married Betsey Little. 
Married Faith Mills. 



1775. 



Married George Lattimer, 



124 

SMITH, married a daughter of Nathaniel Alford, 

1st. He, with his brother-in-law, Joseph Tiff, resided away 
from the road, south of the John Hill farm, near the south 
end of the east mountain. He was known by the vulgar 
name of Noggy Smith. He removed to Vermont about 
A. D. 1786. 



JOSEPH TIFF, with his wife Susan, daughter of Na- 
thaniel Alford, 1st, lived with his brother-in-law Smith, on 
the East Hill. The family have long been gone from this 
town. This is all that can now be ascertained respecting 
these two families, that had a place among the first se fctlers. 



SOLOMON THOMAS was an early settler in West 
Simsbury. He, with his wife Lugia, lived on the place now 
owned by Miles and Mills Foot. His son Samuel lived with 
them. They both removed to Otis, Mass., about the year 
1798, where the old gentleman died the beginning of the 
present century,^' aged about 90. His wife had died in the 
year 1779; she was also daughter of Nathaniel Alford, 1st. 
But little more is known about this family. 



WILLIAM TAYLOE, with his second wife Kuth, the 

widow of Higgins, came from Middletown about the 

year 1756, and settled on premises now owned by Alson Bar- 
ber. They both had previously been married to other part- 
ners, and he had children, John and Mary, and probably 
others. She, by her first marriage, had Nathaniel Higgins, 
who died in 1809, aged 60 years. The time of the birth, death, 
or age, of Mr. Taylor's first children is not known. Mr. Taylor, 
in the early part of his life, previous to coming to West Sims- 
bury, was a seaman. His oldest son John resided at or near 
the place now occupied by Martin Moses. Mr. Taylor died 



125 



of the small-pox; he was quite sure that he had had it iu 
the West Indies; but when his son John's children had it, 
and seeing how hard it went with them, he was led to be- 
lieve that he might be mistaken with regard to himself, and 
was accordingly inocculated with the small-pox and died, 
and was buried on the hill north-west of the house of Elijah 
Whiting. 





Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Willia 


,in Taylor, 




1777. 




Ruth Higgins, 




1813. 






Children, 
iin, Jun,, 


Born 
1757, 


. Died. 
1835, 


Age 


Willia 


78. 


Ozias, 






1814. 




Ruth. 










David 


, 




1840. 





Isaiah, 



Married Asa Wilcox. 
Married Abigail Case. 
Married Amelia Humphrey. 

Married 1st Lucina Roberts; 
2d, Marlow Johnson. 
1767, 1811, 43. Married Zilpah Case. 



Ensign ISAAC TULLER was an early settler in West 
Simsbury, He removed from the Old Parish about 1749. 
He was the third son of Sarah Woodford, who died in 1797, 
aged 100 years. He resided on the place that was afterward 
occupied by his son Rufus, and is now (1855) the property 
of Augustus H. Carrier. 

There were eleven children in this family, three sons and 
eight daughters, all of whom lived to adult years, and ten of 
them had children. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. Age. 




Isaac Tuller, 


1720, 1806, 86. 


Married 1746. 


Phebe Case, 


1728, 1799, 71. 


Daughter of James Case. 


Children. 


Born. Died. Age. 




Phebe, 


1747, 1776, 29. 


Married James Case, son of 
Josiah Case. 


Isaac, Jun., 


1749, 1776, 28. 


Died in the army at Bergen, 
N.J. 



126 



Deliverance, 


1751, 


1805, 


54. 


Married Isaac Wilcox, 


Ruth, 


1755, 


1818, 


63. 


Married Frederick Hui 
rey. 


Esther, 


1757, 


1851. 


94. 


Married Elijah Hill. 


Lois, 


1759, 


1797, 


37. 


Married James Lawrence, 


Sarah, 


1761, 


1812, 


51. 


Married Ozias Northway. 


Aseneth, 


1763, 


1815, 


52. 


Married Jonathan Merrell. 


Amasa, 


1765, 


1793, 


27. 


Married Sylvia Case. 


Rufas,* 


1767, 






Married Matilda Case. 


Chloe, 


1770, 


1845, 


75. 


Married Timothy Cadwell. 



HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE ANCESTRY OF THE WIL- 
COX FAMILIES IN SIMSBURY, CANTON. &c. 

SAMUEL WILCOX, (then spelt Wilcoxson,) was the 
ancestor of all those that bear the name of Wilcox in this 
vicinity. He was an early settler in Simsbury, but the exact 
time is not known. It appears that he resided at Meadow 
Plain, and as Avon, adjoining to Simsbury, had at its early 
existence, some families of that name, it is probable that 
they sprung from this early stock through Samuel, 2d, the 
oldest son of the first Samuel. He had three sons, viz., Sam- 
uel, 2dj William and Joseph. It is not known that any of 
the descendants of the second Samuel ever settled in West 
Simsbury. Samuel, 2d, had sons, Joseph, born 1701; 
Ephraim, born 1707, and probably others. William, son of 
the first Samuel, had sons, John, William, 2d, known by the 
title of Dea. William, Amos and Azariah. Dea. William had 
sons, William, 3d, or Lieut. William who settled in West 
Simsbury. (See History of Lieut. William Wilcox.) Amos, 
another brother of Dea. William, had Amos, 2d, called Col. 
Amos, three brothers and five sisters; none of them became 
residents of this town. Azariah had sons, Elisha, 1st, Aaron, 
and others. Elisha was father of the late Elisha, 2d, and 
Col. Azariah, and was the ancestor of Harvey and Chester 



•The oldest person now (1856) living in Canton, being in his 89th year. 



127 



and their sisters. Joseph, 1st, the third son of Samuel, 1st, 
born 1674, was the father of the Joseph Wilcox, race in Can- 
ton. ( See History of Joseph Wilcox \st, and 2^/.) There 
was raised up in the north-east part of Simsbury or Granbj, 
Joseph "Wilcox, Esq., who was son to the second Samuel; 
this Joseph was justice of the peace, representative, &c., for 
some twenty years, subsequent to 1738, who is supposed to 
be father of Joseph and Hosea Wilcox, of Norfolk, who were 
old men at Norfolk in 1800, but were never inhabitants of 
Canton. Joseph, 1st, was the father of Joseph Jun., Heze- 
kiah, Nathaniel, Ezra, 1st, or Sen., and sisters. 

There was an Ephraim Wilcox, appeared in West Sims- 
bury about 1746. He might be a brother of Esquire Joseph, 
but this is uncertain. Ephraim, aforementioned, married 
the widow of Thomas Bid well. Sen., and was the father of 
Philander, Martin, Asa and Jehieh (See Ristory of Phi- 
lander Wilcox and Brothers.) 



JOSEPH WILCOX, Sen., was son of the first Samuel 
Wilcox, (then spelt Wilcoxson.) He came from the Old 
Parish to reside among his sons and spend the latter part 
of his days with them; when he came to West Simsbury is 
not definitely known. 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Joseph Wilcox, Sen., 1674,1770.96. Married 1703. 



Abigail Thrall, 



17- 



Daughter of Timothy Thrall. 



Children, as far as known. Born. Died. Age. 
Joseph, Jun., 



1706, 1759, 53. Married Elizabeth Humph- 
rey, 1735. 
1712. 
1713, 1789, 75. 

1791, 72. A cripple; married Rachel 
Twins, 1719, Moses. 

Mary, \ 1756, 37. Married Samuel Humphrey, 

3d, 1731. 
Ezra, 1723, 1786, 63. Married Mary Humphrey. 



Sarah, 
Hezekiah, 

Nathaniel, J 



128 



JOSEPH WILCOX, JuN., with his wife, came to West 
Simsbury about the year 1738, He lived on the place which 
was afterward owned by his nephew, Ezra Wilcox, Jun., 
nearly opposite the present mouth of Cherries brook. He 
was called a man of uncommon strength and resolution. 
He was killed instantly by a fall from a scaffold in his barn, 
A. D. 1759. He was donor of the land for the South-bury- 
ing ground. 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Joseph Wilcox, Jun., 1706, 1759, 53. 
Elizabeth Humphrey, 



Married 1735. 

Daughter of Samuel Humph- 
rey. 



NATHANIEL WILCOX, son of Joseph, Sen., with his 
wife, came to West Simsbury about the year 1743. He 
settled on land around the site of the old first bridge, on 
Farmington river. His house stood at the foot of the hill 
on the west side of the river, west of the old bridge place. 
The bridge then stood some twenty rods south of the present 
bridge, and west of the house of Harlow Case. The old road 
went up the steep hill west of his house; some remains of 
it are still to be seen. 



Parents. 

Nathaniel Wilcox, 
Rachel Moses, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1719, 1791, 72. 
1807. 



Married 1743. 



Children. 

Nathaniel, Jun., 
Joseph, 
Rachel. 
Seth, 

Sarah. 

Temperance. 
Son. 



Born. Died. Age. 

1776. 
1776. 

1787. 



Died in the army. 

Died a prisoner. 

Married Joseph Hawkins. 

His widow married Dr. Na- 
thaniel Hooker. 

Married 1st. Carter; 

2d, Monger. 

Married Joseph Snath. 

Died at the house of Elisha 
Cornish, Simsbury. 



129 

Lieut. WILLIAM WILCOX, son of Dea. William Wil- 
cox, of Simsbury, Meadow Plain, Avitli bis wife, whose 
maiden mame was Lucy Case, daughter of John Case, 3d, 
came to West Simsbury about the year 1750. He settled 
on land now belonging to Ruggles Case, Esq. They had 
thirteen children including three who died in infancy or 
childhood. 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 




William Wilcox, 


1727, 


1775, 


48. 




Lucy Case, 


1732, 


1805, 


73. 




Children. 


Born. 


Died. Age. 




Lucy, 








Married Moses Case. 


Charles, 








Married 1st, Thankful Mills; 
2d, Abigail Case. 


William, Jun., 


1756, 


1827, 


71. 


Married 1st, Mercy Case, 2d, 
Mrs. Anna Moses. 


Mary. 








Married Eliphalet Curtis, 
Jun. 


Jedediah, 


1763, 


1818, 


55. 


Married Sarah Case, 


Thankful, 


1761. 






Married Zimri Barber. 


Imri, 


1765, 


1807, 


42. 


Married Lucretia Hayes. 


Lovisa, 


1767. 






Married Dudley Mills. 


Dan, 


1778, 


1833, 


61. 


Married Esther Merrett. 


Sterling, 


1774, 


1823, 


48. 


Married Sophia Denslow. 


\ 











Capt. CHAKLES WILCOX, son of Lieut. William, 
married 1771, for his first wife, Thanks Mills, daughter of 
Dea. Joseph Mills. They had three little sons, viz., Philemon, 
born, 1772; Charles born 1774, and Biily, born 1775. These 
three with their mother, all died between the 28th of August 
and the 12th of September, 1776, of the malignant dysen- 
tery, a disease that raged at that time in the army, and 
among the citizens at home, through a great portion of the 
northern states. 

The husband and father of the deceased ones subsequent- 
ly married Abigail, daughter of Capt. Zacheus Case. They 
17 



130 



were the parents of Abigail, Thanks, Achsah and Philemon; 
but another dreadful stroke awaited them, for in September, 
1787, Achsah, aged 3 years, and Philemon aged 10 months, 
died of the dreadful disease called croup or rattles in the 
throat. They died on the 27th of September, 1787, but 
fifteen minutes apart and were both buried in one coffin. 
They afterward had (as it is understood) four children. 



CoL. WILLIAM WILCOX, the fourth of the name in 
direct succession, and son of Lieut. William and Mrs. Lucy 
Wilcox. For his first wife he married Mercy, daughter of 
Capt. Zacheus Case, and for his second, Anna, widow of 
Lieut. Daniel Moses, whose maiden name was Anna Edg- 
erton. He resided on the premises, and erected the house 
now owned by his son Orville Wilcox, in the North school - 
district, 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

William Wilcox, 1758,1827,69. Married December 22d, 1779. 

1st wife, Mercy Case, 1761, 1809, 48. 
2d wife, Anna Edg- 
erton, 1775, 1846, 71. 



Children. 


Born. Died. 


Age 


Mercy, 




1780, 1806, 


26. 


William, 


Jun., 


1782. 




Zacheus, 




1785, 1826, 


41. 


Alanson, 




1787, 1849, 


62. 


Orville, 




1792. 




Celestia, 




1794. 




Garmon, 




1796. 




Rodman, 




1789, 1837, 


47. 


Imri, 




1798, 1835, 


37. 


Loyal, 




1800. 




Philena, 




1802, 1854, 


52. 


Mariah, 




1812. 





Married 1st, Roxy McFar- 

land; 2cT, Mercy Rice. 
Married Temperance Case. 
Married Cyreue Johnson. 
Married widow of Chester 

Giddings. 

Married Louisa C. Wright, 
Married Rosauna Gwin. 
Died single. 
Married Almira Reed. 
Married Lucius Brooks. 
Married Marvin Case. 



131 



Col. AZARIAH WILCOX, son of Elisha Wilcox, Sen., 
and grandson of Azariah Wilcox, 1st. He resided on the 
place now owned by Sidney S. Sexton, in the Farms 
school-district. He married a daughter of Benajah Humph- 
rey, Jun. 

Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Azariah Wilcox, 1814, 58. 

Hepzibeth Humph- 
rey, 



Children. 


Born. Died. Age, 




Benajah, about 


1778. 




Caroline. 






Chloe. 






Tammy Lovet, 


1793. 




Azariah Jay, 


1795, 1812, 18. 


Drowned at Tariff ville. 


Hepzibeth, 




Married Henry Harrington 



Serg. EZRA WILCOX, Sen., with his wife Mary, 
daughter of Samuel Humphrey, 2d, removed from the Old 
Parish to West Simsbury about A. D. 1743, His place of 
residence was on the west side of the river, opposite the 
mouth of Cherries brook. He married for his second wife, 
Rhoda, widow of Philip Harris. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 




Ezra Wilcox, 


1723, 1786, 


63. 




Mary Humphrey, 


1756. 






Children. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 




Ezra, Jun., 


1746, 1807, 


61. 


Married Rosanna Case. 


Rachel, (twins, 


17i8. 






Mary, ) 


1756, 


8. 




Elizabeth, 


1750, 




Married Joseph Mabison, 
New Canaan, N, Y. 


Isaac, 


1753. 




Married Deliverance Tuller, 


Lucy, 


1754. 




Married John Nearing, 


Phebe, 


1756, 




Married William Noble, 


Giles, 


1759, 1777, 


18. 


Died single. 



of 



132 



John. 

Hezekiah. 

Rhoda. 
Zeruiah, 



Removed to the region of 
Whitestown, N. Y., 1791. 

Removed to the region of 
Whitestown, N. Y., 1791. 

Married Obadiah Taylor. 

Married Samuel Humphrey, 
Jun., or 5th. 



EZKA WILCOX, Jun., son of Ezra Wilcox and Mary 
Humphrey. He married Rosanna, daughter of Dea. Abra- 
ham and Mrs. Rachel Case. He resided on the premises 
owned and occupied by his uncle, Joseph Wilcox, Jun., e- 
ceased, near the confluence of the turnpike and the river road. 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Ezra Wilcox, Jun., 
or 2d, 1746, 1807, 61. 



Rosanna Case, 


1746, 1807, 


61. 


Both were born and both died 
the same year. 


Children. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 




Abraham, 


1769, 1815, 


46. 


Married Arabella Dyer. 


Faith, 


1771. 




Married Jesse Moory. 


Alexander, 


1773. 




Married Nearing. 


Allen, 


1775, 1830. 


55. 


Married Chloe Woodford. 


Eunice, 


1776. 




Married Giles Woodford. 


Clarissa, 


1779. 




Married James Moses. 


Mary, 


1781. 






Gad, 


1783. 




Died single. 


Edmund, 


1788. 




Still lives single, (1856.) 



ISAAC WILCOX, second son of Ezra Wilcox, Sen., 
married Deliverance, daughter of Ensign Isaac TuUer. He 
resided on the premises and erected the dwelling-house now 
owned by Zenas and Daniel Dyer. In the year 1801, he 
removed to Pompey, State of New York. 



133 

Parents. Born Died. Age. 

Isaac Wilcox, 1753. 

Deliverance Tuller, 1751,1805, 54. 



Children. 
Isaac, Jun. 
Starling. 



Born. Died. Age. 



Married Margaret Tooly. 



Capt. DANIEL WILCOX. He married Lydia, daugh- 
ter of Samuel Humphrey, 2d, 1737. He resided on tlie place 
now occupied by Julius Case about the year 1750. He lost 
his property by being bound for the owners of the old forge, 
which was swept away by a flood from its place, on the 
north-east side of the river, above the old school-house 
place. They had no children. 



Parents. 

Daniel Wilcox. 
Lydia Hnmphrey, 



Born. Died. Age. 



1775. 



Col. AMOS WILCOX, with his wife, Hannah Hoskins, 
came from the Old Parish and settled on laud now belong- 
ing to Capt. Jerry Wilcox, his grandson, about the year 
1752. They had nine children, six sons and three daughters; 
seven of them settled in family state and raised up families. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 




Amos Wilcox, 


172G, ITS.'i, 


59. 


Married 1749. 


Hannah Hoskins, 


1726, 1779, 


53. 




Children. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 




Amos, Jun., 


1750, 1844, 


94. 


Married Annah Case. 


Hannah, 


1755, 1801, 


4(5. 


First wife of Ezra Adams, 
Esq. 


David, 


1753. 




Married Mary Cornish . 


Roger, 


1752, 1825, 


73. 


Married Elizabeth Case. 







134 




Phebe, 


1758, 1828, 


70. 


Married Rev. Seth Sage: he 
died 1822. 


Zelek, 


1763, 1807, 


45. 




Joel, ) 


1826, 


61. 




T>„i.„„ f twins, 


1765. 






Betsy, j ' 


1810, 


45. 


First wife of William Merrell. 


Robert, 


1767, 1847, 


. 79. 


Married Climena Mills. 



AMOS WILCOX, JuN., son of Amos Wilcox, Sen. 
He with liis wife Annah, daughter of Capt. Josiah Case, 
commenced family state about 1772. He resided on the 
premises now owned by Salmon Matson, in the north-east 
corner of the town. 



Parents. Born. Died. Age. 

Amos Wilcox, Jun., 1750. 1844, 94. 



Annah Case, 


1750, 


1833, 


83. 


Children. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Annah, 2d, 


1773. 






Cherissa, 


1775. 






Amos, 3d, 


1777. 






Buckland, 




1848. 




Ruth. 








Betsy, 








Jeptha. 








Orren. 








Willys. 









Married G-ad Curtis. 
Married Lattimer. 

Married Timothy Graham. 
Married Jedadiah Wilcox. 



EPHRAIM WILCOX, married Ruhamah, widow of 
Thomas Bidwell, Sen., and resided on the premises left by 
said Thomas, for a number of years They had four sons, 
viz., Philander, Jehiel, Asa, Martin, and one daughter, Chloe, 
who married Elijah Humphrey. 



135 

PHILANDER WILCOX settled on the farm previously 
owned by William Payne. He, for his first wife, married 
Abigail Fuller; she died 1785, leaving two daughters. He 
for his second wife, married Mercia Moses, by whom he had 
two more daughters; one of them married Carmi Case; the 
other married Salmon Barber. He removed in 1803, to 
Barkhamsted Hollow, where he resided through life and 
died in 1813. His widow survived him some years and died 
in Barkhamsted. 



JEHIEL WILCOX, brother to Philander, married a 
daughter of Saunders Moore, of Granby. He resided on the 
farm previously owned by John Taylor, between his brothers 
Philander and Asa, which is now the residence of Martin 

Moses. He removed to Barkhamsted about the year , 

where he resided till about 1808, when he removed to the 
State of Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his life, and 
died a few years since, aged 85. 



ASA WILCOX, another brother, resided on the farm 
afterward owned by Dea. Alvin Humphrey. He married a 
daughter of William, Sen., and Ruth Taylor. They had 
children. Prudence, Billy, Asa, and others. 



GAMALIEL WARD and SIMEON WARD. They 
settled in 1745, on the farm, now the west part of the prem- 
ises of Eliphalet Case. Their house stood on the west 
side of Cherries brook, the west side of the road, a few rods 
north of the bridge. It is not in the power of the writer to 
tell, whether they two were brothers or father and son. 



136 



Parents. 


Born. 


Died. 


Age. 


Gamaliel Ward, 


1694, 


1774, 


80. 


Elizabeth Simons. 








Simeon Ward, 




1780. 




Children, 


Born- 


Died. 


Age. 


Betsy, 


1740, 


1835, 


85. 


Mind well. 








Anna, 








James, 


1754, 


1777, 


23. 


Infant. 




1762. 





Married Amos Case, Jun. 
Married James McNall. 
Married Isaac Messenger, 

Jun. 
Died of small-pox. 



UEIAH WHITNEY, with his wife, Miss 
of Avon, resided in the Farms school-district. 



Hart, 



Among their 

children were Samuel and Lucy, and others not known to 
the writer. He lived on the farm subsequently owned by 
Noble Phelps. The buildings then stood on the east side of 
the highway, northeasterly from the dwelling house of the 
late said Noble Phelps, deceased; in the year 1801, he re- 
moved to Granville, Mass. Nothing further is known of his 
or his family's history. 



137 

I Note. The followiDg <,'enealogical notes of the sons of 
Dea. Hosea Case were not received in time for insertion in 
their proper alphabetical order.) 

HOSEA CASE, Jun., first son of Dea. Hosea Case. He 
married for his first wife, Khoda, daughter of Amos Case, 
Sen., and for his second, Sarah, daughter of Solomon Buel, 
Sen. He commenced his farming operation in the town of 
Norfolk; from there he removed back to West Simsbury and 
settled on the place now owned by Alvin Bacon. He 
afterward moved on to the farm now owned by Giles A. 
Sisson, where he spent the remainder of his life. 



Parents. 

Hosea Case, Oct 

Rhoda Case, April 20, 1757, 178G, 

Sarah Buel, 17(;0, 1838, 



Born. Died. Age. 
6, 1756, 1834, 78. 



29. 

78. Married A. D. 1787. 



Child. 



Rhoda, 



Born. Died. Age. 

1780, 1847, G7. Married Loin Humphrey. 



ASA CASE, Sen., second son of Dea. Hosea Case, mar- 
ried for his first wife, Lois, daughter of Solomon Dill; for his 
second, Thede, widow of Benajah Humphrey, and daughter 
of Capt. Zacheus Case. He lived on the place now owned 
by his youngest son, Milton Case. 



Parents. 


Born. Died. 


Age. 


Asa Case, 


1758, 1837, 


79. 


Lois Dill, 


1759, 1812, 


53. 


Thede Humphrey, 


176G, 1851, 


85. 


Children. 


Born. Died. 


Ago. 


Lois. ) 1783. 

-twins, Oct. 1782, 
Lorinda, ) 1787. 




Asa, Jun., Dec. 


1, 178(5. 




Dosa, March 


7, 1788. 




Bera, July 


22. 1790. 




18 







Married January 28th, 1781. 



Married Hepzibah Buel. 
Married Tirza Case. 
Married Sarah Humphrey. 



138 



Daughter, May 25, 1793, 1793. 

Hosea, June 13, 1794, 1827, 33. Married Ist, Thede M. 



Lois, Dec. 23, 1796, 1846, 50. 

Lorinda, March 24, 1799, 1833, 34. 
Milton. Feb. 19, 1801. 



Humphrey; 2d, Charlotte 

Mills. 
Married Solomon V. Case. 
Married Orson Reed. 
Married Eunice Reed. 



TITUS CASE, fourth son of Dea. Hosea Case. He 
married for his first wife, Rebecca Eggleston; second wife, 
Phebe Tuttle. He commenced his family state on the East 
Hill, on the place now occuped by Reuben S. Hull. The 
last years of his life he lived about fifty rods south of the 
meeting-house, Canton center. 



Parents. 
Titus Case, 
Rebecca Eggleston. 
Phebe Tuttle. 



Born. Died. Age. 
1768, 1845, 76. Married January 28th, 1790. 



Children. Born. Died. Age. 

Rebecca, Nov. 14, 1790. Married John Garrett. 

Sarah. May 6, 1793. Married Calvin Case. 

Titus S. April 23, 1796, 1835, 39. Married Terrissa Humphrey. 



Francis H. Oct. 1,1797. 

Mary, April 20, 1800. 1808, 8. 

Polly, April 23, 1809. 



Married Lucinda Case. 



Married Calvin Case, Jun. 



CHAPTER 



ncli Citizens of WXts\ ^imshnxxy 



JAMES BALTIMORE, known as Jim Bait, was an in- 
habitant of this town as early or earlier than 1774. He 
resided with or near Capt. Dudley Case, in the part of New 
Hartford that is now Canton. His first wife died as early 
as 1780, and left two children, viz., Polly, born 1775, and 
Sam, born 1778. Sam remained with Capt. Dud (so called) 
for nearly thirty years, and was indulged with greater privi- 
leges and liberties than commonly fall to the lot of colored 
people in families of wealth and standing. He appeared to 
talk as though he had a good share of influence and direc- 
tion in the common departments of business, and was known 
to say that Capt. Dud, should never come to want while he 
lived. The sister. Poll, fared harder in the world, and saw 
much trouble and ill-usage. They both left this part of the 
country many years ago. James, the father, for second wife, 
married Susannah, daughter of Col. London Wallace. (Ne- 
groes received and valued military and civil titles of honor 
highly.) He was set up on the east end of the farm of Charles 
and Benajah Humphrey, south-east of the house of Bera 
Case. They had a number of children; part of them died in 
infancy and childhood. While the family remained in their 
tenement, it was the place of resort for colored people, both 
relatives and others, which is generally the case where the 
colored people have a shelter, a family, and something to 
live on for the present. 



140 

LONDON CHESTER, (called Governor, as it was un- 
derstood tliat he had held that ofl&ce among the Wethersfield 
negroes.) He was through the prime of life, the servant of 
Col. John Chester, the elder. It is not known at what pe- 
riod of time he received his freedom. He had a wife named 
Betty, and during the last years of her life he resided at the 
place now called Indian Hill, on the premises now owned by 
the Messrs. Pike. His wife died in 1787, and he after that 
time became dependent on the public for support. It ap- 
pears from his own statements that he came from Africa 
quite young, as he spoke better English than was common 
for that race. One incident he used to relate, would show 
that he came to this country young. He said that in the 
early part of his life with Master Chester, he saw one morn- 
ing what he thought to be a very pretty puppy; he accord- 
ingly seized him with a view to play with him, but the skunk 
soon convinced him that he was playing with the wrong 
animal. From that story originated the name of "Wethers- 
field puppy." He died near the close of the last century, 
aged about 80 years, a pauper supported by New Hartford. 



CHARLES PRINCE married Tabitha Quamino; he 
had been several years in the employ of Capt. Dudley Case, 
and was viewed by the famil}^ and the people of the neigh- 
borhood, as an honest, industrious and meritorious citizen, 
and still more, he and his wife were called worthy members 
of the church. He died of consumption, A. D. 1828, and 
the process had already begun whereby he was wronged out 
of the small pittance of landed estate which his deceased 
patron had given him years before, but had not executed 
the deed; from that period the family appeared to sink under 
their misfortunes. Some died, some left the town, and very 
little is known respecting the circumstances of the survivors 
if any yet remaim. 



141 

SIMON FLETCHEE, known as Lieut. Simon, erected 
a house, and lived in it on the land of Capt. Dudley Case. 
It should be borne in mind that Capt. Case, with his first 
wife Susanna, were reputed kind guardians of the blacks^ 
and helpers of the indigent whites who lived on his premises 
or In the neighborhood. Simon's house stood by the brook, 
at the foot of the hill on the road leading to Harvey Mills resi- 
dence. The name of his wife is not known, neither the 
number of his children, but among his children was Julius, 
who had his skull broken in by the kick of a horse; Julius was 
born about 1775. The family disappeared from this part as 
early as 1795. Simon was what is called a second or third 
rate fiddler, and the same may be said of a great share of 
the men of color of those times. On the east confines of 
New Hartford, and on the north-west part of Old Simsbury, 
called Negrotown, were many blacks, and among them a 
good number of fiddlers. It was also observable, that 
wherever there was a colored family that possessed in good 
measure the comforts of life, there were sure to be plenty 
of hangers on. 



C^SAE WILCOX was probably brought from Africa 
after he had arrived to adult years. He through life, spoke 
very broken English. He, or his services, were called the 
property of Joseph Wilcox, 2d, or Jun. When his master 
was found dead by his fall in the barn in 1759, Cfiosar was 
the one who first discovered him ; he went into the house to 
inform his mistress, but so broken was his language; that it 
required a long time with the help of signs, before he could 
make her understand what he wanted to communicate to her. 
He was afterward sold into the State of New York, where 
he remained till after the death of his master. The writer 
of this article once heard him say that he dug his second 
master's grave. It was currently reported that while living 
in the State of New York, he married or cohabited with a 
woman of his race, and they had some children. He in 



142 

some way left his New York residence and returned to Con- 
necticut; the time not definitely known, but probably as late 
as 1780, after which he lived in an unsettled state, according 
as he found friends or employers; sometimes faring middling 
well, and sometimes very poor. When Canton was incor- 
porated in 1806, he by agreement was taken by Old Sims- 
bury, who supported him during the last years of his life. 
He died in 1812, quite aged, having seen enough of this 
world's kindness toward worn out blacks. 

There have been several colored persons who have resided 
a few years in Canton, but not in family state at so early a 
period as what this work is treating of. This general re- 
mark is true with respect to Canton, as with other towns, 
and even with Connecticut, viz., that the colored race have 
strangely dwindled away, and in great measure disappeared 
within the last sixty-five years, and no one can tell what has 
become of them. There were, at different periods of time, 
between 1750 and 1776, some four or five negroes held as 
servants. Some of them had died, and those that remained 
were voluntarily released. 



SKETCH OF THE 

^ivst gccXesiastUaX J^cUty of "Shiest ^imsbxivi), 
N 0^^r CANTON. 



About the year 1741, the people of West Simsbury began 
to hold religious meetings on the Sabbath, in private houses. 
From 1747 to 1750, two preachers, Kev. Adonijah Bidwell 
and Rev. Timothy Pitkiu, were employed to preach, each for 
a short time. This section of the town was constituted a 
distinct parish by an act of the General Assembly, May, 
1750. The Congregational church was organized, it is sup- 
posed, about the same time. The same year, Rev. Evander 
Morrison, who was from Scotland, was installed first pastor 
of the church. For some cause, Mr. Morrison was dismissed 
about eleven months after his installation. The next pastor 
was Rev. Gideon Mills, who was installed in 1759, and con- 
tinued pastor of the church thirteen years. The third pastor 
was Rev. Seth Wage, installed 1774, and dismissed 1778. 
Rev. Jeremiah Hallock was the fourth pastor of the church. 
He was ordained October 26th, 1785, and continued pastor 
till his death in June, 182G, a period of about forty-one 
years. Rev. Jairus Burt; the present pastor, was ordained 
December 20th, 1826. 

The first meeting-house was built in 1763, and was occu- 
pied by the society fifty-one years, having been taken down 
in 1814. A new house erected on the same spot, (now Can- 
ton Center,) was dedicated January 5th, 1815. (See Phelps' 
History of Simsbury, Granhy a7id Canton.) 



NOTABLE EVENTS. 

And remarkable seasons which occurred at different periods, and 
were of public notoriety at the time of their happening, and had 
an important bearing on many individuals, and in some in- 
stances on the whole population of the then inhabitants of the 
society of West Simsbury, {now Canton) 

1755. — The French War which existed in former years at different 
periods, became more operative and distressing to New England and 
the other northern States. Certain youngerly men were called into 
the English army; some of them lost their lives. 

1763. — Was the time of the unfortunate expedition against Hav- 
annah; several young men went in a company which was raised 
principally, in the then town of Simsbury, under the command of 
Capt. Noah Humphrey. Among the soldiers of that company were 
Dudley Miller, and Jonathan Barber, both of whom died. Theoph- 
ilus Humphrey went and lived to return, 

1763. — Was memorable for the peace between England and 
France. 

1775. — Memorable for the commencement of the Revolutionary 
War, which called many men into the army in the vicinity of Boston. 

1776. — Memorable for the declaration of American independ- 
ence; the many disasters that befel the American army, both by 
defeat and by mortal sickness, which prevailed among the officers and 
soldiers in the army, and spread among the citizens at home in the 
summer and autumn, and sent death and mourning into many fami- 
lies, and almost entirely destroyed some, that a few weeks before 
were prosijerous and healthful. 

1777.— Was memorable to Canton, by the breaking out of the 
small-pox among the people; some six to ten died, and others were 
brought, as it were, to death's door. Soldiers returning from the war, 
brought the disease and gave it to their families and friends. The 



145 

sufferings and privations of the people were great; among many other 
things, the want of laborers to raise and harvest the crops, necessary 
for the sustenence of life to man and beast. It was a well-authen- 
ticated fact at the time and afterward, that many females belonging 
to respectable families, from the necessity of the case, voluntarily 
performed manual labor on the farms, with the hoe, the manure fork, 
the hay fork and the sickle, and other farming tools commonly used 
by farmers and their sons. It would surely be a sight worth looking 
at for the young females at the present day, if they could see their 
grandmothers performing that labor which was laid upon them for 
the helps of their families and their country. 

1778. — The latter part of this year and the beginning of 1779, 
was memorable for much sickness in North Canton; the disease was 
then called the long fever. 

1779. — Memorable for a very early and forward spring. It passed 
as a well-attested fact by credible men, that apple trees were in full 
blossom on the 15th of April; but there afterward came a severe and 
cutting frost that destroyed all the fruit. 

1779-80. — This winter was remarkably severe and long, attended 
with excessive deep snows, which occasioned great hardships and 
sufferings in various ways to man and beast. 

1780. — Was noted for the dark day that occurred May 19th. It 
was probably occasioned by an accumulation of thick and dense masses 
of vapor and smoke. 

1781. — Was memorable for the burning of New Loudon and the 
inhuman butchery of the garrison at fort Griswold, on Grot on hill ; 
but Connecticut was soon cheered with the joyful news of the capture 
of Lord Cornwallis, which put a brighter appearance on the pros- 
pects of America. 

1783. — Was blessed and the country with it, by bringing about 
peace between England and the United States; and the return home 
of officers and soldiers from the army. This year was also noted for 
the great revival of religion which commenced early in the summer 
and continued into the year 1781. There were a goodly number 
then added to the visible Church, who very generally through life, 
were an honor to the blessed cause which they professed, and so 
lived and died as to obtain a good report. The fruits of that revival 
have all been gathered in. Mr. Edmund Mills, nephew of the Rev. 
Gideon Mills, the former minister, was the preacher for a number 
of months, assisted by Messrs. Robins, Gillett, Mills, Miller, Smalley, 

19 



146 

and others, who were providentially sent there to preach and attend 
religious meetings. 

1785. — Was blessed by the ministerial labors and settlement of 
the Rev. Mr. Hallock, whose pious and useful labors with us con- 
tinued more than forty years. 

1786. — Was memorable for the appearance of the insect called the 
Hessian fly. It was among other events noted for an extreme high 
and destructive flood in October. 

1787.— Memorable by the promulgation of the new Constitution of 
the United States. Some in Simsbury liked it, while others hated 
it. The town of Simsbury instructed their two delegates. Gen. Noah 
Phelps, and Esquire Daniel Humphrey, to oppose its adoption by the 
State, and they obeyed their instructions, though Esquire Humphrey 
said it was against his personal inclination, but it was adopted in the 
State Constitution in January, 1788. 

1788. — Was a wet, cold unfruitful summer; grain of all kinds very 
poor. A very destructive wind or hurricane in August, which pros- 
trated the poor standing corn, made great destruction in the groves of 
wood, injured many buildings, and entirely destroyed some. 

1789. — Was a time of uncommon scarcity for bread, the staff of 
life, and almost a famine was occasioned by the previous unfruitful 
year. Many families who were termed good livers, and of middling 
property, lived on bran bread, while others ordered their rye ground 
without bolting, and in other respects, lived on food to correspond 
with it, while many were much troubled to obtain that coarse fare, 
for labor or money. In a word, it was a time of great scarcity 
and extreme suffering among the people, till the last of July, when 
the rye went to the grist mill, very soon from the hands of the reap- 
ers. In the spring of this year, blossoms and vegetation generally 
were backward, but the summer was fruitful. In October, appeared 
among us and through this region of country, the epidemic called 
influenza. It proved destructive to many, especially to the aged and 
infirm. It appeared again in April and May, 1790, with similar 
effect. 

1793. — Was a year of much sickness among children and youth; 
the disease was canker rash or scarlet fever, which sent sorrow and 
mourning into many families. 

1794. — The spring was uncommonly early and forward; apple 
blossoms were seen as early as the 22d of April, vegetation pro- 
gressed rapidly, blossoms fell off, and were followed by the young 



147 

fruit, but on the night of the 17th of May, there came a destructive 
frost that killed fruit and vegetation, which was so forward that even 
rye was killed on some low land, and garden productions destroyed, 
all that could be hurt by the frost. 

1795. — Was termed a favorable year for farmers; English grain, 
corn, and grass uncommonly good; grain and live stock commanding 
a high price. But the seeds were germinating whereby in 1796, the 
American commerce was seriously annoyed, both by England and 
France, which annoyance continued till 1«00, The Jay treaty set- 
tled the matter as it respected England, but it raised the jealousy of 
France in 1796, which eventuated in French depredations on Amer- 
ican commerce, which lasted till the conclusion of the Ellsworth 
treaty in 1800. During the four years previous to 1800, there were 
honorable politicians, who by looking through different glasses, saw 
the position of the different parties, and in this period the two great 
parties called Federalists and Democrats arose, and entered the polit- 
ical field in violent combat against each other, both of them claiming 
the honor of following the political opinions, and walking in the foot- 
steps of the great Father of his country — Washington. This party 
strife has passed through different shapes, assumed various names and 
enlisted and paid different partisans, for more than sixty years; but 
enough of these remarks. The great political campaign of 1800, 
resulted in a change of men and measures, as respected the national 
government; and there have been the ins and the outs, as respected 
power, at all periods, in the country's history. 

1798. — Was memorable by a great and powerful work of the 
Holy Spirit, in awakening and hopefully converting many stout- 
hearted sinners, and among them some who had fortified themselves 
in infidelity. The reformation appeared to be notable, and was visi- 
ble through their after lives. See the notice of that revival as 
published in the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine, for December, 
1800. 

1801. — March was rendered memorable by the inauguration of 
President Jefferson in the chair of state. A notable event soon after 
followed, viz., the Jefferson flood, an event of great notoriety. It 
far surpassed anything of the kind within the memory of the oldest 
of the Fathers, and most of the high water marks yet remain unsur- 
passed for the last fifty-five years. It carried off the grist and saw 
mill belonging to Moses & Cleveland, (situated west of the house of 
Marvin Case,) and in it a boy and girl belonging to Mr. Joeiah At- 



148 

kins; the girl was saved but the boy perished, aged 16 years. His 
body was found in the meadows more than a mile below the mill. 

The winters of 1801 and 1802 were uncommonly mild and open; 
but the winter of 1803-4; was remarkable in the opposite extreme. 
The winter commenced in earnest on the 24th of December, and con- 
tinued with increasing severity, and without material mitigation, 
until near the last of March. The snows were frequent, and very 
deep on a level, and were by the wind whirled into drifts of uncom- 
mon depth, so that most of the roads except the most public, and 
constant traveled ones, were wholly forsaken and untraveled for 
several weeks. There were deep snow-drifts, even in some sun- 
shining places till near the last days of May. It was at that time 
thought to surpass any winter that had been since 1780. 

1805. — Was in some respects notable for good to Canton in relig- 
ioiis concerns. There were appearances of an awakening in June 
At that time the vegetable world was to appearance, threatened with a 
severe drouth, especially the Indian corn. On the last sabbath in 
July, Mr. Hallock appointed a day of humiliation and prayer for the 
church and people, on the following Wednesday, taking into consid- 
tion the low state of religion, and the dependence of the people on 
the great Giver of all good. The day came and was observed by 
the religious community, with some degree of sincerity. But during 
the afternoon of that day the people were met by a plentiful supply 
of temporal rain, and an apparent increase of spiritual blessings. 
The weeks that followed were weeks of fruitfulness. The religious 
part of the community were wont to speak of that favor as a kind 
interposition of a merciful God. 

1806.— Was memorable for the incorporation of the town of Can- 
ton. With respect to the season, a severe drouth commenced in 
June and lasted till September. It killed the turf in many of the 
upland mow lots, but the summer of 1807, was so extremely wet and 
growing, as to restore the ground to its wonted greenness. 

1808. — Was memorable to Canton by the malady called the spot- 
ted fever, which in April, May and June, sent death, and sorrow, and 
mourning, into many of our dwellings. 

1809-10.— The winter of 1809-10, was noted as a remarkable 
open winter. It was literally true that people might, as respected the 
state of the ground, have plowed every month in the winter. 

1810. — Was very memorable for the sudden change from warm 
to cold, which happened on the 18th of January. The afternoon of 
that day was uncommonly mild and even warm for the season, but 



149 

before eleven o'clock that night, the cold was intense, and the wind 
blowing a hurricane. The public journals of that period told of 
many strange appearances; of freezing high wind, upon agitated, 
freezing water. Many buildings were blown down, and many trees 
prostrated. The cold continued violent for three succeeding days; 
then the sudden changes from one extreme of cold or heat to the 
other, went on as it had done before. 

1812. — Was memorable by the breaking out of the war between 
America and England, which raged with great violence for nearly 
three years. Different politicians of the different beligerent nations, 
did, for the time being, express their different views respecting the 
call for the war, but both nations were extremely glad to be rid of it 
soon as possible. 

1814. — Was memorable to the Congregational church and society 
of Canton. The meeting-house having become too small for the 
congregation, and also dilapidated, it was almost unanimously agreed 
by the society to build a new and commodious liouse, provided the 
means could be raised by subscription to defray the expense. The 
papers were circulated, and the people mostly throughout the entire 
town, subscribed more or less, and many of the society very liberally, 
for the object. The necessary funds being raised, the society voted 
to build on the old site, and with great unanimity and strength re- 
moved the old house, reduced the hill on which it stood, and made a 
dry and pleasant site for the new house. The work of collecting 
materials for building was soon commenced, at which point Mr. 
Orange Case, one of the most enterprising and valuable members of 
the church and society was instantly killed by the falling of a tree, 
which tree was designed for a part of the frame of the new house. 
This solemn and unexpected event cast a gloom over the community 
that was not soon forgotten. But not withstanding this afflictive dis- 
pensation, the Lord gave the people strength and a united heart to 
go forward and build the house for his worship. The summer sea- 
son was remarkable for the frequent and powerful showers, accom- 
panied with unusual thunder and lightning, rendering the earth less 
productive than usual, yet there was a competency for the wants of 
the people. 

1816. — Was remarkable for a cold summer, so much so that the 
effects of frost were visible in every month except August, during the 
season. The Indian corn was almost entirely cut off, and the small 
portion that remained was materially injured. The rye harvest, 
though threatened by the frosts, was wonderfully preserved and re- 



150 

markably good, furnishing for the people beyond their most sanguine 
expectations, the staff of life. 

1821. — Was a year of unusual interest on account of a revival of 
religion, by which the church vpas strengthened by numbers and 
graces. 

1826. — Was remarkable for the barrenness of the fore part of the 
summer, which caused a scarcity of food in the pastures, and a short 
crop of hay for the cattle, by means of which the price of stock was 
extremely depressed. About the last of August came one of the 
most powerful rains ever known in this vicinity, and occasioned one 
of the greatest freshets ever known by the oldest inhabitants, sweep- 
ing away mills, bridges, fences and roads, in a manner almost unpar- 
alleled. The rain fell principally between the hours of 10 A. M. and 
1P.M. 

The latter part of the season was favorable for the products of the 
earth, which were brought to maturity and furni&hed the means of 
subsistance for man and beast. This year was memorable also, on 
account of the death of Rev. Jeremiah Hallock, the faithful and 
devoted pastor of the church. The important and interesting relation 
that had long existed between him and his people was dissolved by 
his death on the 23d day of June, 1826. His death occasioned the 
most intense feeling and deep interest, and spread an almost impene- 
trable cloud over the community; yet his pious and devoted life, and 
his peaceful death, carried the conviction to every reflecting mind, 
that he had exchanged this world of toil, and care, and pain, for that 
better and brighter world above. 

His amiable and beloved consort closed her connection with earthly 
scenes on the 3d day of November, 1836, She was a bright exam- 
ple of industry, economy and piety, always ready to do all in her 
power to relieve the sick and suffering, and promote the spiritual 
and temporal welfare of the people. "The heart of her husband did 
safely trust in her, and her children did rise up and call her blessed." 

Soon after the death of Mr. Hallock, the interesting and import 
ant question began to be raised. Where shall we go, and whom shall 
we find to fill the place made vacant by his death? 

The committee of the church and society were directed to Mr, 
Jairus Burt, a licentiate then preaching in Colerain, Mass. He was 
accordingly invited to supply the pulpit for a time, and accepted the 
invitation. His labors being acceptable to the church and people, the 
society in a full meeting, all, with one solitary exception, voted to 
give him a call to become their pastor. After due consideration, the 



151 

call was accepted, and in December following, the solemn relation 
was entered into by his ordination. 

1827. — Will be long remembered on account of the great revival 
of religion which spread over the entire town, and continued for some 
months causing great accessions to the churches and a moral refor- 
mation generally. 

In 1831, the church was again blessed with a revival which resulted 
in gathering a goodly number, including several heads of families, 
into the church. 

Soon after this a church was formed in the villige of Collinsville, 
by means of which a very important portion of the Congregational 
church and society chose to remove their relation to that church and 
society, on account of the convenient location, and accordingly the 
relation heretofore existing was mutually and peacefully dissolved. 
But notwithstanding the great diminution of members, the first 
church, and society are, by the blessing of the Great Head of the 
Church, j'et favored with the ordinances of the Gospel, and with the 
disposition and ability to support them to the present time. 



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